


Our Past

by WhiteShadow3478



Category: breath of the wild
Genre: F/M, Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda) Fluff, zelink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:53:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 37,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27761059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteShadow3478/pseuds/WhiteShadow3478
Summary: Since the last defeat of Calamity Ganon, Hyrule has evolved in the last 1,000 years. The prophecy faded into mere legend. People live their lives, always working towards the future. The two chosen heroes, best friends, are as clueless as everyone else.But what happens when the legends are true? What if no one is ready?This book consists of some things not suited for people under 13. Viewer discretion is advised.Also, I don't own any of the art in this story, and the legend of Zelda belongs entirely to Nintendo. A few of the characters are my OCs, but the rest is Nintendo's.If you are the owner of any art I use and would like for me to take it down, I will happily do so.
Relationships: Zelda x Link - Relationship
Kudos: 6





	1. Introduction.

Link POV

-

"Ugh, you are SO annoying." I shouted at my (very annoying, might I add) mother while I slammed my door.

I rolled my eyes.

I heard a ding from my phone.

A smile spread across my face, and I forgot all about how annoying my mom was.

'Hey Babe 😘 '

It was Amidna, my girlfriend.

'Hey.You're messaging late.'

'Wellll I had things to do Linky-pie.'

'Amidna, don't call me that stupid name.'

'Liiiiinkkkkky.'

I blocked her. She annoyed me so bad sometimes.

I looked around my room, with nothing to do.

"Wow, I might as well do homework." I muttered, walking over to my desk.

Littered across the desk were drawings, sketches, and illustrations. I had always liked drawing, nobody else knew that, though.

Eventually, my eyelids got heavy, and I fell asleep.

-

"Link!! Get your sorry ass up before you're late to school!" My mom shouted at me from the other side of the door.

I groaned, looking at the clock.

It read 5:40, then 6:40, then 7:40, and after my eyes finally cleared out, I decided it was 7:40.

School started at 8.

I jumped up, hastily putting on my school uniform. I quickly put my hair up in its usual messy ponytail. 

I ran down the stairs, tripping over a step, tumbling all the way down. I immediately jumped back up, grabbing my bag.

After a run to school, I barely made it into 1st period.

"Link!"

"Yes?"

"Ugh..You were almost late." The teacher mumbled.

I smirked, looking around. A few girls giggled at me.

Soon enough, it was lunch.

Once I sat down, I felt someone flick the back of my neck. I whipped my head around, but saw no one. Then I looked to the other side, still no one. Then they flicked my neck again.

"Gotcha!"I exclaimed, grabbing their arms. I pulled them down into the seat beside me.

It was my best friend, Zelda.

"Aw,man!" She pouted, crossing her arms.

I smiled. She smiled back, making my heart skip a beat. Why did that always happen to me? I had a girlfriend. 

"Link!!!" I heard someone scream.

I knew who it was. I gave Zelda a pleading look, and she giggled slightly.

Then, the person grabbed me by the arm.

"Link, why did you block me last night!?" Amidna shouted.

"Because you're annoying." I replied, not taking my eyes off Zelda.

"Oh, were you messaging this whore!?" She exclaimed.

I shook her arm off.

"What did you say about her?" I mumbled, looking into Amidna's eyes.

"O-oh..baby, I didn't mean it!" She stuttered.

"Get out of my eyesight. We're over." I commanded.

"Ugh! She is a whore! Why are you giving me up for her!?" She argued.

Then I slapped her.

"Don't talk about my friend like that!" I argued back.

"Link..it's okay." Zelda's soft voice told me, and she grabbed my arm softly.

I turned around.

"How can you let her talk about you like that!?" I questioned.

"Because I know it's not true. Now, let's go to the library." She replied.

She took my hand, and we walked to the library together. Her hands were behind her back.

"Thank you for standing up for me,Link." She thanked me, looking up into my eyes.

"It's nothing. It's just what I do." I replied, giving her a warm smile.

She smiled softly.

"Yeah..." I vaguely heard her mumble.

We arrived at the library. She ran over to a shelf, immediately pulling a book off of it.

"Link! I love this book!" She exclaimed.

"Why?What's it about?" I asked.

"Well, it talks about a prophecy. It says that there is an evil, destined to be reborn time and time again, will-"

I wasn't even listening. I was staring at her. Watching her flip through the pages of the book, eyes sparkling with fascination. Her eyes would light up anytime she read something that particularly amazed her. Then her cheeks turned red. Did she know I was staring!?

"-isn't that amazing, Link?"

"Link?"

"Link!!"

"Wha-huh!?"

"Link, why are you staring at me like that?" She questioned.

"Oh..lost in thought, I suppose." I answered.

Her cheeks turned even more red, causing mine to go red as well.

"Link..I-"

The bell rung, notifying all students to go to the next class.

"I'll see you after school!" We said in unison.

We both laughed, heading to our classes.

The rest of the day, I wasn't paying attention to anything, lost in thoughts.


	2. Love in the air.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what’s with this relationship?

Zelda POV

I found myself sitting on Link's couch after school. He was in the other room, pouring us both some lemonade. He was always so caring..

Snap out of it! We came here to study!

That had been happening a lot recently. I found myself always thinking about him. I had known for years that I was in love with him, but I just didn't think he felt the same.

"You okay, Zel?" I heard him ask.

I was snapped out of my thoughts. I looked up into his energetic blue eyes, a worried smile on his face.

"Yeah, just lost in thought." I answered.

He smiled.

"Don't think too hard, or you'll be too tired to study." He teased.

I grinned.

"Well, in that case, i'll just have to borrow the triforce of wisdom." I said.

We both shared a laugh, then he opened up the books.

"So, what do you need help with?" I asked him.

"Everything..it's all too complicated for me." He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

I giggled.

"C'mon, it's actually quite simple." I told him.

"Easy for you to say! You're a straight-A student!!" Link exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes, and he rolled his back.

-

I assisted him with calculus, algebra, and history homework for a few hours. I found him very cute when he gets frustrated.

"I think that's enough for today." I said.

He sighed in relief.

"Thank Hylia.." He muttered.

I stood up, patting his head.

"You'll get it soon, don't worry." I assured him, slowly noticing his face go red.

He nodded.

"I um..wanna order pizza?" He questioned after a few seconds.

"Sure.." I mumbled, internally facepalming.

So we argued over whether or not we should get pineapple or pepperoni. Personally, I love pineapple pizza. He hated pineapple.

We ended up getting half pineapple, half pepperoni.

"Zel, you're about the only person I know that likes pineapple pizza." He said while eating.

"Well you're about the only person I know that can't understand simple history." I mocked, hiding my smirk.

He gasped dramatically. I laughed as he turned away, crossing his arms.

"Oh, Linkkkk~" I sang, and he turned his head slightly. I threw one of the pineapple slices on his face.

"Gross!!" He shouted, throwing it back at me.

"It's on." He said, and I nodded smugly.

I ran over to the counter, grabbing some whip cream and spraying it all over him.

He retaliated by pouring the flour all over me, creating a thick cloud of white. I could barely see him ducking under the counter, and before I knew it, I was being doused in syrup.

"Gah! Link!! My hair!" I squealed.

I opened the fridge, taking out the mayonnaise.

I tackled him to the ground, straddling his chest. I started pouring mayonnaise on his face. He didn't seem very bothered by it, though. His face was red.

"What's wrong?" I questioned.

He blushed harder.

"Uh..can you...get off?" He mumbled.

I realized the position were in. My whole face went red as well. I quickly stumbled off of him, apologizing frantically.

He chuckled.

"I'm gonna go wash off!" I told him quickly.

I ran to the bathroom, shutting the door. I turned on the water, plugging up the drain.

"Stupid..stupid.." I told myself.

I stripped my clothes off, laying down in the warm water. Laying my head back, I closed my eyes.

My mind was still flooded with images of him. I could hear him in his bedroom, taking out a fresh pair of clothes.

-

Link POV

I shook my head while rummaging through my drawers, looking for something for Zelda to wear.

She was immature sometimes, but it was cute. I stood outside the bathroom, waiting for her to finish her bath.

I knocked on the door, and just as I did, she opened it.

My mind told my eyes not to look down, but they did anyways. Luckily, she had a towel on.

"Um..Link.." She mumbled, embarrassment clear in her voice.

I snapped my head up, my eyes meeting with hers. 

I could see how red her face was. Her eyes were full with a certain passion, one I had never seen before. Fire danced in those emerald eyes, a mesmerizing, hypnotic dance. 

"Zelda.." I breathed, leaning closer, her breath hitching in her throat.

My lips met hers. It was one of the softest things I have ever felt. She didn't push me away, she even allowed my tongue into her mouth. My hand found its way up her body, onto the side of her face.

We stood there kissing, the moment felt like it would last forever.

At last, I pulled away slowly. She smiled brightly.

"My turn to take a shower." I told her, taking my shirt off. I watched her eyes trace down my chest, outlining my abs. I winked, walking past her.

I took the rest of my clothes off, taking a quick shower.

I walked into my room, and she was dressed in the clothes I laid out for her.

She had on one of my favorite shirts, a light blue tunic with white markings. It was too big for her, so she wasn't wearing any shorts. 

I took out a sweater and some pants that were a little more than knee-high. I put them on once she walked out.

"Let's watch a movie." She said once I was done. I nodded, following her to the couch. We sat down, and she grabbed the remote.

She turned on some documentary about Hylian prophecies, and I found it super boring.

"We are warning you. Ganon is due to return in less than one week. I repeat, Ganon is returning. When he returns, the two chosen heroes will rise, both blessed by the goddess Hylia." The documentary said.

I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah right.."I mumbled.

Zelda punched my arm.

"Link, it's true!" She snapped.

"Okay, okay!" I exclaimed, rubbing my arm.

We sat there for a few more minutes.

I started kissing her cheek, too bored to watch the documentary.

"Link..stop.." She said.

I kept on, still kissing her cheek. She sighed.

She flipped over, straddling my lap. Even though we weren't dating, this felt so right. I knew I loved her. We kept kissing, our tongues dancing. I wasn't going to take it farther than kissing, anyways.

I heard the door fling open.

"What the hell is going on in here!?" A pissed off voice boomed.

We quickly pulled away, looking over. It was Zelda's father, here to pick up his daughter.

He grabbed her by the arm, pulling her over to the door.

"Wait! Dad, I can explain-" She started.

"Zelda Hyrule! You are way too young to be doing this kind of thing!" He lectured her.

"Sir, it's my fault, I started it." I cut in.

"Oh, did you? Well that can be taken care of! Zelda, I forbid you from seeing him again." He said."I thought you were better than this, Link." 

"Dad! Please!" Zelda begged, but he shook his head. They both went out the door, slamming it behind them.

"Zelda.." I mumbled.


	3. Prophecies.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yikes...

Zelda POV

I was crying. Sobbing, in fact. The whole drive home, I kept the tears bottled up, but I let them out once I hit the pillows.

To never be able to see him again..that wasn't a life worth living.

I reached for the doorknob, ready to go protest to my father. Suddenly, the ground started shaking.

"Zelda!?" My father yelled.

I looked out the window, and the sky was horrific mix of purple, black, and red.

"Ganon.." I mumbled. 

The symbol of the triforce began glowing on the back of my hand. Only one piece was lit up, the others flashing.

"I'm..a chosen one..?" I questioned.

———————

Link POV

I didn't know what to do. Zelda had just been taken from me.

Maybe I should go to her, I thought.

Then, the ground started shaking. Turns out the documentary was right. I looked up into the sky, horrified at the sight. A huge dragon looking creature was spiraling in the sky.

A triforce symbol showed up on my hand, one piece glowing brighter.

"So i'm the hero." I said.

Then I realized.

"Zelda!" I exclaimed.

I quickly got in my car, cranking it up. The streets were cracking, cars crashing into each other. I floored the gas pedal, nearly crashing into some cars. As I neared Zelda's house a semi came rolling down the road. I had no choice but to swerve, launching myself out the windshield.

I hit the ground, pain shooting through my body. I slowly stood up, stumbling to my feet. I tried to ignore the pain.

I limped over to my crashed car, getting my sword out of the backseat. It was a fine sword, and it had been passed down in my family for generations. It had a triforce engraved below the blade.

My father was the one who taught me how to swordfight, and I was really good at it.

I attached the sheath around my body, sword in hand. Chaos was happening around me. Monsters were appearing out of thin air, terrorizing people. I limped, Zelda's house coming into sight. I saw monsters attempting to break the door down.

Anger filled me, and I got there as quickly as I could. I decapitated all of them in one swing.

I banged on the door.

"Zelda!? Zelda it's Link! Are you okay?!" I shouted.

No answer.

I banged again, saying the same thing. 

Eventually, I grabbed the handle, using my strength to push the door open.

"Zelda!?" I screamed, worried as hell.

"Link?!" I heard her reply.

I sighed in relief.

I made my way upstairs, and into her room. She was on her bed, a thick book in hand.

"Oh my Hylia! Link, what happened!?" She exclaimed, running over to me.

"Car crash. I had to get to you." I answered. She sighed.

"Here, i'll bandage you up." She said, taking out some bandages.

She quickly took out all the glass, stitching me up and putting on bandages.

I hugged her.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Ganon. He's returned." She replied.

I noticed the triforce on her hand.

"So we're the chosen ones.." I said.

She looked at my hand, nodding.

"I..have a voice telling me something.. I know what we have to do. We must leave at once." She told me.

"To where?"

"To the witch's house."

"No way!" I exclaimed.

She rolled her eyes.

"Come on, we have to go." She said, and we walked downstairs.

"We can't go in a car. The roads are all messed up. We'll have to walk." I told her.

She nodded, putting her hands on her head. They started glowing, and she stopped after a few seconds.

"Okay. I know where we're supposed to go." She said.

I nodded slowly.

We walked out the door, getting another view of the chaos. We started walking, side by side. I had my sword drawn, ready to defend off monsters.

-

Zelda POV

This was all happening so fast. Link and I kissed, I was forbidden from him, Ganon returned, and now, we're going to see a witch. I didn't even know why, but I heard a voice telling me to go.

We walked side by side, Link looking alert. I had always known he was good with a sword. It ran in his family. 

Suddenly, a huge swarm of monsters charged at us. Link, not even changing expression, took a fighting stance. He wiped them all out, each swing killing multiple at a time. He sheathed his sword, continuing walking. He noticed I had stopped.

"You coming?" He asked.

"Yeah, just..you're so good with a sword" I told him.

"I have to be, to protect you." He said.

I nodded, and we kept walking. More swarms kept attacking, each time bigger than the last.  
Nevertheless, he took them all out. It didn't even look like he was breaking a sweat.

At last, we made it to a run down shack in the middle of the woods. We slowly walked in, observing all the potions.

"Welcome, chosen heroes!" A voice said.

A small woman walked up to us.

"I know why you're here." She told us, smiling.

"Why are we here?" I asked.

"For advice." The witch answered, and I nodded slowly.

"Ganon has returned, and it's up to you two to banish him again. However, there is a problem.  
This modern age has ruined the prophecy. In the process of expanding the city, a very important weapon was destroyed. The Master Sword. You cannot beat ganon without it." She explained.

"Link is the only one who can wield it. He has the soul of the hero, reborn time and time again. You have the blood of the goddess, also reborn again." She continued.

"So..how do we get it back?" Link asked.

"You go into the past, where it still exists. You find it, bring it to the future, and its existence will be known by the lands. Its pedestal will reform." She answered.

The small woman walked over to a pot, its contents bubbling and brewing.

"Just hop in here, and you will be transported to the past. But beware, I cannot guarantee you will return. I also can't say you'll be the same people you are now. Your roles will have changed to suit the Link and Zelda of that time." She warned us.

We exchanged a look, nodding to each other. We both knew the fate of the world was in our hands. It was something we had to do.

Link climbed up onto the pot, extending his hand to help me up. I took it, and he lifted me up. We held hands, letting ourselves sink into the pot. My vision went black, and my mind went blank.

-

I woke up in an extravagant bedroom. I had no memories whatsoever of what had just happened. I looked around, a beautiful dress laid out on the vanity in the room.

I was Princess Zelda of Hyrule. 

I got up, putting the dress on. It fit perfectly.

I walked down a huge flight of stairs, into the dining room. My father, the king, was already sitting down. I sat down as well.

"Good morning, Zelda." He said.

"Good morning, Father." I replied.

Servants brought out plates of food, filling our plates with toast, eggs, sausage, and cheese.

I started eating, I had found myself very hungry.

"So, have you chosen a suitable husband yet?" The king asked after a little bit.

"Um..no, not yet." I answered, nervous about the topic. I just wasn't attracted to anyone.

"Your 18th birthday is in 2 weeks Zelda. You must choose a husband, or I will have to choose for you." He said.

I nodded. He had already told me this time and time again.

As soon as I finished eating, I walked out to the training grounds. I always enjoyed watching the soldiers train.

One particular soldier stood out to me. He had dirty blonde hair, electric blue eyes, and was always silent. He was the best soldier in all of Hyrule. He had quickly climbed the rankings, but wasn't yet 18, so he couldn't be in the Royal Guard.

As always, he was dueling. He took out royal guard after royal guard, all of them almost twice his size. He fascinated me.

Once they were done, he noticed I was watching. He smiled, walking over.

"Always a pleasure to see you, Princess Zelda." He said, sitting next to me.

"Oh, Link, I told you to call me Zelda. We know each other well enough." I told him, punching his arm lightly.

"Sorry, Princ- Zelda. Sorry Zelda." He corrected himself.

I smiled.

"Looks like you're still doing well with your training." I said to him.

He nodded.

"My birthday is in a few days, i'll be 18. I'm hoping to get promoted to the Royal Guard."

"I'm sure you will." I assured him. He smiled.

Then, the commander whistled.

He jumped up, waving, and ran to get in line.

I smiled, walking back into the castle.

It was going to be a very long day.


	4. Duties.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mwah mwah

Link POV

I had just woke up a few days before my birthday, feeling like something was missing. Like I was forgetting something. I shrugged it off, getting dressed and heading out to the training grounds.

"Ah, Link!" Klein, my best friend, called out to me.

We did our secret handshake quickly.

"You're up late." He said.

"Sorry, it was kind of a rough night last night. I don't even remember what time I went to sleep." I sheepishly answered.

"Damn. No worries man, we aren't doing much anyways." He said.

I nodded, then we both heard a loud whistle.

He fell in line with soldiers of his rank, and I fell in line with mine. Our arms straight down at our sides.

"Attention, hut!"

"Hut!"

"Draw your weapons!"

All the soldiers, including myself, drew our swords. The commander came out, standing in front of us.

"Today is sparring day, soldiers!"

We all nodded, saluting.

"Link! Get over here!" He commanded.

I ran over, standing beside him.

"You will be sparring with knox." The commander told me.

Not knox...I thought.

Knox came out of the knight's quarter's, almost hitting his head on the door. He towered over me, and I restrained from looking up at him.

We took our places on the opposite ends of the sparring area, taking our stances.

"3...

2...

1...

Go!"

Immediately, I lurched forward, putting my sword in front of me. Knox smirked, tsking and putting his own sword up. I smirked back, the plan worked. 

Before our swords made contact, I threw my body to the side, rolling to behind him. I quickly slashed his back with the training sword. If it were a real battle, that hit would be fatal.

He turned around, still in shock, unable to fully comprehend what was happening. We locked blades, and I was able to overpower him, thanks to his confusion. I knocked him out of the arena.

"Link is the winner!" Everyone cheered.

I smiled, sheathing my sword. I held my hand out to Knox, helping him up.

"Good match as always, Link." He said, and we shook hands.

I felt a pair of eyes on me, so I looked around. I saw Princess Zelda, and I wondered how long she had been there. She had a look of awe of her face.

Her and I had grown close, since she visited the training grounds often to watch us train.

I walked over to her and we had a short conversation.

She ended up having to go attend her duties, but before she did, I told her to meet me at the castle garden that night.

——————-

Zelda POV

I wish I could've spent the whole day watching Link train. Alas, I had countless meetings to attend. Each one more boring than the last.

My mind kept wandering off to his face. He had told me to meet him in the garden..the thought made my heart go faster. This was a strange feeling.

"Perhaps i'm nervous.." I muttered, unaware I had expressed my thoughts aloud.

"What was that, Your Highness?" One of my advisors questioned.

"Ah!I-It was nothing! Carry on!" I stuttered.

The others in the room whispered amongst themselves for a second, before returning their attention to the status report.

Hyrule,Zelda..think about Hyrule..

"The amount of monster attacks in Hyrule has gone up. There have also been reports of Yiga attacks, but none have been confirmed. Also, on the night of the blood moon, we have had witnesses claim they saw monsters come back to life. So far, there are no casualties. Thank you for your time." The advisor finished.

"Thank you for notifying us. We will certainly look into these problems." I said blatantly, not even thinking about my words.

"This meeting is dismissed." I told them, and they nodded.

Finally, last one of the day...I thought.

I walked to my room, changing out of the royal blue dress to a more casual outfit. I brushed through my hair, braiding it.

After a few minutes, I walked down to the kitchen, where I quickly ate dinner.

Finally, I walked out to the garden. The sun was going down, so I had the pleasure of watching the sunset.

Suddenly, my vision went dark, and I freaked out for a second.

"Guess whooooo?"A familiar voice sang.

I smiled.

Link sat down beside me, a smile on his face as well.

I slapped his shoulder.

"You scared me." I told him.

He grinned.

"Don't worry, i'd probably be on my way here if I wasn't here already. The bad guy wouldn't get away from me." He bragged, striking a dorky pose.

I laughed, covering my mouth.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that." I apologized, barely containing my smile.

"It's okay Zelda, I like your laugh. You don't have to be proper around me." Link assured me.

I blushed, nodding.

"Why'd you ask me to come out here?" I asked him.

"Well, I couldn't wait to give you your birthday present, so I'm giving it to you now while I still can."He explained, handing me a small box.

"Link..you didn't have to." I said.

He smiled, gesturing for me to open it. I giggled.

When I opened the box, there was a small box in it, with some letters on the top."Zelda's Lullaby", it read.

I opened the small box, cranked the handle, and a beautiful tune began to play. It was a tune I had never heard, but I felt like it belonged in my heart.

"Do you like it?" Link asked after a moment.

"Oh, Link..I love it." I answered, hugging him.

"Good. It took a lot of tries to get the tune just right." He added.

I giggled. I kissed his cheek, without thinking, making us both blush.

"I-I'm sorry!" I apologized, backing away from him.

He chuckled.

"I-It's okay." He replied.

We cooled down.

"Thank you, Link. I'll cherish it forever." I told him.

"I'm so glad you like it. Now, for my birthday present..-"

I slapped his shoulder, laughing, cutting him off.

"Maybe i'll get you a new sword." I pondered, tapping my chin comically.

I saw his blue eyes light up, like a little boy.

"Really!?" He asked.

I laughed harder.

"Wha-Not cool!" He pouted.

I kept laughing.

"You'll just have to wait and see what I got you!" I exclaimed.

He kept pouting.

"Aww, Link, it was pretty funny." I said.

He looked at me, disappointment etched onto his face.

I tried to contain my smile, but I couldn't.

He smiled back.

Almost at the same time, we looked out at the open starry sky.

I looked down at him, the stars reflecting off his gorgeous blue eyes. A hint of excitement burning in his eyes, making him seem  
almost childish, with those curious eyes. 

—————

Link POV

After a long day of training, I found myself in the garden with Zelda, me giving her a birthday present.

Honestly, I was scared she wouldn't like it. I put a lot of work into making the tune sound just right.

For a few minutes, we looked out to the night sky. Neither of us said a word, but I can imagine we both thought the same thing.

After a minute, I looked down at her. The stars reflected off her emerald eyes, and a certain fire in me ignited. Looking into her eyes, I couldn't explain what I felt. She looked back at me, amazement in her eyes.

In that moment, I felt as though everything else melted away. It was as if time had froze, just for us. Her beauty amazed me, and I could almost see my own eyes her bright ones. The brilliant hue of them danced around in front of me, like they were trying to hypnotize.

I felt myself leaning in, my thoughts bursting into fireworks. I realized 3 things at the same time.

I was in love.

I was deeply in love.

I was deeply in love with Princess Zelda of Hyrule.


	5. Blossoming.

Zelda POV

Before I knew it, Link and I were getting closer and closer to each other. I slowly closed my eyes, hoping he had done the same.

I felt him stop, like he was hesitating.

My eyes fluttered open, and his blue eyes were right in front of me. My face flushed red.

"L-Link! Why are you stopping there!?" I exclaimed, backing up.

"I-I'm sorry! Y-you are just so beautiful, so..." He stuttered.

I smiled through the blush. He smiled back. I leaned in, faster than before, kissing him quickly.

I couldn't place my finger on it, but it felt as though I had kissed him before. The feeling of his lips was familiar. Perhaps we had kissed in one of our past lifetimes.

He rested his forehead on mine, his gaze dancing across my face. This time, he kissed me.

"I should get going.." I told him. He nodded.

I stood up, kissed his cheek, and made my way back to my room. It felt like I was floating. I suddenly realized I had all these feelings for him, and I wanted to be his.

When I got to my room, I tiredly changed into my nightgown, flopping onto my bed.

Every time I closed my eyes, his handsome face popped into my head.

I shook my head.

Then, a knocking sound started coming from my balcony door. I stood up, walking over and opening it slowly.

Link stood there, and he wasted no time wrapping his arms around me and kissing me once again.

"Mph..Link.." I tried to say in between kisses.

He pulled away.

"I'm sorry Zelda..I just..don't want to spend anymore time away from you. I love you, Zelda. I always have." He stated.

I gasped quietly, not expecting such a confession so soon.

"Link..I.." I tried to get the right words out, but he stopped me.

"I understand if you don't feel the same, and you already have your eyes on some royal suitor. I just wanted to tell you." He said, pain echoing in his voice.

"Goodnight, Zelda." He told me, turning around.

I grabbed his arm.

"Link, you idiot. That's unfair." I stated, my brows furrowing in anger.

I pulled him back into my room, shutting the balcony door.

"Do I seem like the type of girl who actually wants to marry for money?" I questioned.

He shook his head meekly.

"That's what I thought. Link, I've been searching for someone I truly love. I refuse to be apart of a loveless marriage. I found it." I explained.

"When you kiss me, my heart fills and my head goes wild. I hadn't even realized that I truly did love you, until the moment our lips met. Link, I love you. Only you, there are no royal suitors." I stated.

He smiled.

"I'm not a prince..-"

"Your father was a highly respected individual by my father, not to mention the captain of the Royal Guard. I do not doubt you will take his place. I wouldn't worry about your social status, Link." I told him.

Link nodded.

My fingers interlocked with his, and we kissed again. It felt so..right.

——————

Link POV

I had to be dreaming. There was no way the Princess of Hyrule just told me she loved me.

I slapped myself.

Zelda stepped back, taken by surprise.

"Link, what in Hylia's name was that!?" She exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, I thought I was dreaming." I explained.

She punched my arm.

"Ow!"

"That's what you get, idiot."

She crossed her arms, turning her head away from me.

I kissed her forehead, making her lighten up.

"Well, I should head to my room." I said.

She hugged me tightly.

"Link..can you..stay with me, just for tonight..?" She whispered.

I blushed, nodding.

"Of course." I answered.

I took my sword off my back, leaning it up against one of the nightstands.

Zelda laid down, and I laid beside her. We weren't touching, but I knew just my presence comforted her. I felt the same.

In a matter of seconds, she was fast asleep. I barely managed to contain my laughter. Softly as I could, I kissed her forehead.

Then, I closed my own eyes, falling asleep fast myself.

-

"What is going on in here!?" A voice shouted.

Oh no. I thought.

I opened my eyes, it was Zelda's personal handmaid.

"Mmm..five more minutes.." Zelda mumbled.

"Sorry Leafa. She asked me to stay with her last night." I apologized.

She smirked.

"Got something going on, hm?" She nudged me.

I blushed.

"Maybe.." I mumbled.

I looked over at Zelda.

"Hey, Zelda, wake up." I poked her cheek.

Her eyes fluttered open. She looked at me, then at Leafa, then at me, then back at Leafa.

Her eyes widened.

"I-I-It's not what it looks like!!" She exclaimed, hopping up.

"Oh? It looks pretty much like something dirty." Leafa teased.

"W-We just slept beside each other! That's all! I swear!" Zelda fumbled through her words, face going red.

Me and Leafa laughed.

"Zelda, it's okay. Link already explained. I won't tell a soul." Leafa assured her.

"Thank you, you're the best..Wait. Link!!" Zelda's tone changed. She punched my arm.

I laughed more.

"Sorry!!" I shouted, laughing harder and she hit me more.

Zelda pouted.

I kissed her forehead.

"I have to go. I'm in charge of training for today." I told her.

She nodded, kissing my cheek.

I picked up my sword, slinging the sheath around me. I waved at the two girls, then made my way to the training grounds.

Once I got there, I changed into uniform.

Someone slapped my back.

"Heyyyyy Link! You didn't come back to the room last night! Were you out with a girllll?" Klein questioned.

"Y-You could say that." I answered.

"Details!"

"No!!"

"Oh cmon, I deserve them!"

"No!!!"

I blew my whistle, telling everyone to line up. Klein gave me a nasty glare, to which I smirked.

"Alright, soldiers. As you may know, our commander unfortunately injured his leg after training yesterday. As a result, I will be in charge. Things will run the same as usual. Now, form your parties!" I commanded.

The soldiers formed groups of 10, some having 11 or 12.

"We will be going out into Hyrule field, for some real practice."

They cheered.

I smiled.

"Onwards!" I shouted.

They all cheered again, and we began marching out to Hyrule field.

First, we spotted a group of bokoblins.

Perfect, I thought.

"Allow me to demonstrate." I told them, walking towards the group.

The closer I got, the more they spotted me.

I heard the soliders behind me gasp, wondering how i'd do it on my own.

As soon as the first bokoblin jumped out at me, I quickly unsheathed my sword, slicing it in half. The others charged, and in a few quick swings, they found themselves in halves as well.

I sheathed my sword, and the soldiers clapped. More groups of bokoblins could be seen across the field, so I ordered for the soldiers to take them out. I assigned each group of soldiers to a group of bokoblins.

I sat there watching for a minute, then I noticed a bokoblin that looked taller than the rest. Then I realized it was a moblin. Finally, I realized it was in the middle of preparing to act the backside of one of my soldiers.

"Look out!!" I screamed, but he couldn't hear me. I quickly unsheathed my sword, running as fast as I could to the soldier.

I saw the moblin swing his sword down, and I buckled my knees, preparing to slide into the place of my soldier. I put my sword up, and metal hit metal.

I grunted.

"Gah..watch your back, god dammit!" I yelled in annoyance.

I overpowered the moblin, flinging it back. I lurched forward, slicing its torso up.

It fell to the ground.

I noticed groups of moblins had appeared out of nowhere.

"Everyone, return to the castle! I'll cover your retreat! Go!!" I ordered.

The soldiers started running, but the one I had saved stayed behind, fending off the moblins with me.

"Soldier, I ordered you to go. Leave." I commanded.

"Sir, you saved my life. I refuse to let you be hurt." He said.

A moblin swung its sword down at him, to which I blocked again.

"Just..go!!" I ordered again, and this time, he meekly nodded and ran.

I stabbed that moblin in the gut, and it fell to the ground.

10, 20, maybe 30 advanced on me. Quick. Too quick.

I clenched onto my sword, and started swinging for my life.


	6. Courage.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link you idiot

Zelda POV

I rushed through the halls, running down the stairs two steps at a time. I wondered if he was okay.

One of my guards had just informed me Link was badly injured while covering the retreat of his men.

Link, you reckless idiot..Was all I could think.

I bursted into the hospital room, and there he was, laying in a bed.

His head turned, and his eyes lit up when he saw me.

"H..Hey Zelda." He said.

"Oh Hylia..Link, you idiot!" I exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

He chuckled.

"Nice to see you too." He joked.

I smiled.

"That was very brave of you, Link."I told him, and he smiled.

"Thank you." He replied,"I just couldn't let one of them get hurt. It would be my fault."

I nodded.

"But Zelda..I practice in that field all the time. There's never been that many monsters. It was strange." He explained.

"So the rumors are true, then. Attacks in Hyrule are rising." I mumbled.

My eyes widened.

"It can't..it can't be.." I assured myself.

"What?" Link questioned.

"Ganon..he can't be returning..I read a book, and it told the tale of Calamity Ganon. How he would be resurrected one day, and will take over Hyrule..."I explained.

Link sighed.

"And the two chosen heroes will take him down. Along with the champions, Mipha, Urbosa, Revali, and Daruk." He finished my explanation.

I nodded.

"A tale all too familiar, i'm afraid." He said,"And all too true, as well."

Link grabbed my hand.

"But.."

I looked at him.

"Either way, I will protect you. I won't let harm come to you. That's a promise. Whether I have to protect you for 100 years, or a thousand. I will never stop." He stated.

I felt tears of happiness run down my face. I kissed him softly.

"Thank you.." I whispered.

He nodded, smiling. Our fingers intertwined.

The doctor walked in, a paper in his hand.

"I have news."The doctor said,"Link's injuries aren't bad enough for him to stay any longer. You are allowed to return to your room, but take it easy for a week or so." The doctor explained.

"But that's so boooring." Link pouted.

I giggled.

"Don't worry, you can read books with me." I comforted him.

"That's even worse!" He exclaimed.

I glared at him.

He mouthed a fearful "Sorry".

I looked back at the doctor, whose gaze was fixed on mine and Link's hands.

I could tell what he was thinking.

"She's a disgrace. She is required to pick a suitor."

Honestly, I didn't care. I noticed Link saw it too, and he looked at me to see how I felt. I gave him a reassuring smile, and his expression relaxed. He kissed my hand.

The doctor looked away, making a slight "hmph" under his breath.

"Can we go now?" Link asked.

"Please." The doctor said.

I rolled my eyes when the doctor wasn't looking, then I helped Link up. We walked, hand in hand, to my room.

Once we got there, I sat on the edge of my bed. He sat on the couch on the opposite end of my room, relaxing into it.

"Ah..maybe taking it easy isn't so bad." He said, closing his eyes.

I giggled.

"Well, you go ahead and take a nap. I have a meeting to attend, but i'll be back later." I told him.

He nodded, and I got up. I leaned down and kissed him, then walked out the door to my meeting.

-

I mentally facepalmed over and over. Without realizing, throughout that whole meeting, all the notes I took weren't notes. I had managed to not notice I was writing Link's name over and over.

It somewhat made me giggle, but it mostly made me annoyed. His face was in my mind the whole time. Don't get me wrong, I love his face, but I found it distracting.

Well, can't be bothered, I suppose. 

I quietly opened the door to my room, and as I expected, Link was fast asleep.

I giggled quietly, brushing some of his golden-brown hair out of his face. He was snoring lightly, drooling a bit as well.

He was so adorable, I could've died. My eyes traced down his body, examining his bandages. It turned out he had a gash across his stomach, and a few cuts here and there.

I smiled softly, leaning down to kiss him. As I did, his eyes fluttered open.

I froze.

He grabbed the back of my head, mashing my lips onto his. At first, I wanted to pull away, but I began to enjoy the heated kiss. Slowly, I opened my mouth, allowing our tongues to meet. We made out for a minute more or so, then I pulled away.

"Wow.." I mumbled.

He smirked.

"That good?" He asked.

I blushed.

"Wha-No!" I exclaimed, flustered.

"Riiiight." Link said skeptically,"Anyways, how was your meeting?"

I showed him my "notes".

He read over it, and his eyebrows furrowed, then he burst into laughter.

"Link Link Link Link, and also Link Link Link!" He read the paper, laughing harder.

"Shutup!" I shouted, smacking the back of his head.

He rubbed his head.

I crumbled it up, throwing it in the corner.

I pinched my temples, then sat beside him.

"Did you sleep well?" I asked him.

"Yeah, best i've slept in a looong time!" He exclaimed, smiling like a little boy.

I giggled.

"I could tell." I commented, and his face went red.

He kept smiling, kissing my forehead.

"How should we spend the rest of the day?" I asked him.

"Hm..follow me." He said, grabbing me and pulling me out the door.

-

Link POV

After a what felt like hours of Zelda asking,"Where are we going?",we made it to the bustling castle town.

The sun was going down, giving the sky a bright pink color. Even though it was getting late, castle town was as lively as ever.

"Oh! I've always wanted to come down here at night!!" Zelda exclaimed, grabbing my hand and intertwining our fingers. I guess she decided it was my turn to be dragged around.

We stopped at multiple stalls, her getting even more fascinated by each one. She tried tons of delicious treats, and looked at all sorts of crazy items.

Even though she moved at the speed of sound, in the moments she'd ask what I thought about something, time slowed down briefly. 

I knew it was so I could look into the amazement in her beautiful eyes, getting excited over the smallest of things.

She had told me before that she didn't get out of the castle much, so this was indeed new for her.

I smiled at her every time.

Once she felt like she had seen enough for a moment, we laid out in the grass at a picnic area.

We looked up at the stars, and I could feel serious Deja Vu from the night we kissed.

"Hey Link?" 

I was snapped out of my thoughts. She looked over at me.

"Yes, Zelda?"

I looked back at her.

"Do you think I'd make a good queen?" Zelda asked.

"There's no way for me to know, because for now, you're still a princess." I answered,"But, I know you, and you have the qualities of a leader. I think, someday, you will make a fantastic queen."

She smiled, and I kissed her hand.

Maybe one day i'll marry this girl I love, and i'll become king. Am I able to do that..? I wondered.

"Let's get you to your room."

"Okay."


	7. Days.

Zelda POV

When I woke up that bright morning, the events from the night before raced through my mind.

"I think, someday, you'll make a fantastic queen."

Did he really mean that? My mind battled against itself to find out. I thought I would have to depend on my king for a bit of help, but i'd catch the hang of it.

But who would my king be? As soon as I asked myself that, Link's face and name came to mind.

I blushed.

"Mm..that idiot isn't proud of his status.." I said out loud, getting out of bed.

Then I realized it was Link's birthday.

I smiled, looking at the shield I had hidden in my closet. It was called The Hylian Shield, and it was the only one of its kind. I had it specially made for him.

"I wonder if he'll like it.." I asked myself.

-

After eating breakfast, I walked down to the sleeping quarters, a room where injured knights slept.

Link was still asleep, with a goofy look on his face.

"Linkkkk~" I sang softly.

"Mm..you forgot to kiss me goodnight, Zelda.." He mumbled, still asleep.

"Did I?"

"Mmm..Mhm."

"Well..let me fix that." I said, grabbing a pillow from one of the nearby vacant beds, and smacking him in the face with it.

"Zelda! I was having a good dream!!" Link exclaimed, sitting up.

"Oh? What was it about, may I ask?" I smirked, questioning him.

"Well..uh..that's..not that good.." He stuttered, face going red.

I leaned in, running my hand up his side.

"And is it something you wish would happen?" I asked, kissing his jaw softly.

He nodded meekly.

"Mmm..Happy Birthday, Link." I told him, kissing him a few times before standing up.

"Thanks." He replied.

"Get dressed, we have plans today!" I exclaimed.

"We do?"

"Yup!"

He sighed, rolling out of bed and getting dressed once I left the room.

After I had finished eating breakfast before I woke him up, I told the chefs to start preparing him some pancakes. He had mentioned they were his favorite food.

I took his hand, leading him to the dining room. We took our seats, and shortly after, the butlers brought out a plate of thick, buttery pancakes. His mouth was already watering, and he immediately grabbed his knife and fork.

"Thank you!" He exclaimed.

In almost an instant, he was through with the first one. I rested my jaw on my hand, giggling while admiring him.

Before I knew it, he had eaten all 3 pancakes.

"Wow, Link..that was fast." I said, actually surprised.

He grinned.

"No meal too big for the Ol' ball and chain!" He replied, making us both laugh.

I kissed his cheek.

"You're such a dork." I told him, to which he shrugged.

"Now, we are to go riding to wherever you please." I said.

He smiled, and we started making our way to the stable.

-

After saddling up our horses, we were on our way to Kakariko Village.

I patted the golden mane of my trusted steed, Storm. He neighed in response, making Epona also neigh.

"C'mon girl, don't be influenced." Link told her, patting her mane as well.

She huffed, flipping her white mane in his face.

"Fine, be like that. You need some racing to cool off." He said, grabbing her reins. He whipped them in the air, not on her, due to the fact he hated whipping her.

She knew this meant to speed up. She started galloping, quickly getting ahead of Storm and I.

"Wha-Link!" I exclaimed, also whipping Storm's reins.

After a little while, the horses slowed down to a trot. We had just passed through dueling peaks, and Storm almost fell into the river. I was sure that was why he slowed down.

"We're halfway there." I said to myself, and Link nodded. Not much long after, our horses sped up again, making us zoom past the stable.

——————

Link POV

This was turning out to be an awesome birthday, in my opinion. 

Any day I spend with Zelda is amazing, I thought.

We were heading to Kakariko Village, and we'd arrive about an hour or two before sunset. That left time for us to quickly stop in Hateno to look around.

Once our horses slowed down from the second race of our trip, we were outside Hateno Village.

We both hopped off our horses, handing the reins to a ranchhand at the stable.

"So, why'd you want to stop here first?" Zelda asked.

I didn't answer, and just made my way to a little house, apart from the rest. I walked across the bridge, looking down at the river below. Zelda trailed behind, asking what I was doing,

I walked into the house, kicking up dust as I did. The small table still had the hand-made table cloth on it, and there was a small bed under the stairs, next to some boxes.

Up the stairs was a slightly bigger bed, along with a dresser and a desk. I walked up to the desk, and an unfinished letter lay on it. All it read was:

"To My Dear Link,

Unfortunately, I am-"

And that was it. The feather, laying beside it, had dripped ink onto the desk.

Zelda grabbed my hand.

"Link..what is this place?" She questioned, resting her head on my shoulder.

"This..is where I grew up." I answered.

We walked over to the dresser, and I picked up the picture frame on it. I wiped the dust off with my shirt, showing a picture of My dad, My Mom, and Me. A tear rolled down my cheek.

Zelda kissed my hand.

"I'm so sorry.." She whispered.

I shook my head, turning towards her.

"It's okay. Let's go." I replied, holding back the rest of my tears.

We walked back across the bridge, and I took one last look at the house. I looked at Zelda, a worried smile on her face. I kissed her, and she gave a comforting smile.

When we walked through the streets of Hateno, making our way to some of the stores, I couldn't help but hear the whispers.

"Isn't that Link, son of Captain Theon?"

"I think it is. Are him and Princess Zelda in love?"

"He's not a prince."

He's not a prince.

He's not a prince.

I looked over at Zelda, who smiled and waved at her people. The people's princess, some called her. I let go of her hand, hanging my head low.

I'm such a fool..I told myself.

Zelda tried to grab my hand, but I shook it off. She looked around, and I could tell she heard the whispers as well. She sighed.

"Link..Who cares..?" I thought I heard her mumble.

We made it to the clothing shop, and Zelda was quickly gone to try on clothes.

I wandered off into another shop, an accessory shop.

I looked at all the fine rings, necklaces, and jewels. One stood out, however. It had 3 gems, representing the triforce. The gems were emerald, however.

"For the day I propose.." I told myself, wanting to buy it before it was too late.

"Sir, interested in this one?" The shopkeeper asked, and I nodded.

"That one is about 15,000 rupees. Care to buy it?" He suggested.

Slowly, I nodded, handing him everything in my wallet, barely managing to pay. Lucky for me, knights get paid decently well. Especially knights like me.

He gave me the ring, in a small box. I smiled, and we nodded at one another. I put the box in my pocket.

"She'll love it, someday." I muttered. 

I walked back into the clothing shop, to find Zelda and the shopkeeper chatting up a storm.

"Link! Where did you run off to?" She asked, punching my arm lightly.

"I was checking out the weapons store." I answered.

They both rolled their eyes.

"Men." They said unison, causing them to giggle.

"Ready to go?" I asked, and she nodded. They said their goodbyes, and we were on our way.

We got our horses, heading to Kakariko Village.

It didn't take long to get there, but we rode in silence, not knowing what to say.

That ride felt like it lasted a millennium.


	8. Insecurities.

Zelda POV

Although Link is handsome, strong, kind, smart, and incredibly skilled, he's well...

Incredibly insecure.

As the princess, it had never bothered me what others thought. But him, he was always being bothered by the fact that he wasn't some rich prince.

He didn't like them speaking of how he wasn't good enough for me, or how I was making a mistake.

Once we got to Kakariko, the sun was starting to cast a pink shade over the sky. We settled into our rooms, not a word being spoke.

I didn't know what to say. I felt like I had said all I could.

I sighed, trying to take my mind off of it. I made my way to Impa's house, where she was practicing her fighting stance.

"Hello, Impa." I said, plopping down on one of the plush chairs, sighing.

"What's wrong, Princess?" Impa asked, walking over to me.

I bit my lip, looking at her.

"Promise you won't tell anyone?" I asked.

"My lips are sealed, as always." She answered.

I looked around.

"I'm in love with Link." I stated.

Her eyes widened.

"The..Hylian Champion?"

I nodded.

She hugged me tightly.

"I'm so happy you found love! When's the wedding? How many kids? Will he be a good ki-"

I slapped my hand over her mouth.

"It's only been a few days!!" I exclaimed, my face flushed red.

She made a slight "Ohhhh." noise.

I sighed.

"Anyways, he..is worried about what others think." I explained,"They whisper about us, gossiping about the fact that he isn't a prince. He thinks he isn't worthy anymore. He thinks he's not good enough."

"Get it through his thick skull. Stop him, get his attention, and don't let him forget it." Impa advised.

"Perhaps i'll try that." I said,"Thank you."

"You're welcome." She replied.

"Now, time for some festivities!" Impa exclaimed, and I stood up. We walked out the grand doors, and there was already a bonfire going.

Children ran around, and adults were gathering around, refreshing on each other's days.

Link was leaning on a tree, a bit away from the fire.

"People of Kakariko!" Impa announced,"Give our special guest, Princess Zelda, a warm welcome!"

The people cheered, and I smiled, waving at them. Link looked up at me, a slight smile on his face. Our eyes met, and I could tell he was enjoying the night.

Impa and I made our way down to the fire, and soon after, a musician started playing the bongo drums.

Impa linked arms with me, a villager linked arms with her, and so on. We danced around, laughing and singing. Well, I was trying to sing along, anyways. I noticed Link, laughing at my awkward singing.

I broke apart from the people, walking over to him.

"C'mon, fearless knight, you aren't afraid of a dance, are you?" I asked, smirking.

"I don't-"

"Too bad!" I exclaimed, grabbing his arm.

We linked arms, and I joined back into the line. We danced and danced, Link and I both trying to sing along. 

After a while, the festivities calmed down. All that was left were the adults sitting around the fire, telling stories. I sat beside Link, my head on his shoulder.

He started telling a story, and I looked up at him once he was done. He smiled slightly, and I kissed him. Some of the adults went "Awww.", making us both laugh and blush.

A few hours of talking, and I was exhausted. I got Link to carry me to my room, and I don't really know what happened in between.

———————-

Link POV

I sighed, laying Zelda down on her bed. I kissed her forehead, then turned around to leave.

"Link.." She mumbled.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"Mm..come back." She said.

I walked back over to her, tilting my head to the side.

Suddenly, she grabbed my arm, pulling me onto the bed with her. She wrapped her legs around my waist, and her arms around my neck.

My whole face was red. Her eyes were halfway open.

"Link..listen to me." She whispered.

I nodded slowly. I was hanging on to every word.

"I love you. That's something I know for sure. I believe that, one day, you and I will get married. Don't you feel that too, Link?" She asked.

I meekly nodded again. She smiled.

"Link..I will be yours forever. I don't care what they say about us, they don't get to decide. We decide, and I have decided to ignore them and keep loving you. It wouldn't matter if you were a poor peasant, I would still love you. Your status does not change you in my eyes." She stated.

She ran her legs up and down.

"I..want to become truly yours." She mumbled.

I turned even more red, and she was also turning red.

"Are you sure..?" I asked.

She nodded.

"I love you enough to be sure that we'll be together forever. I want to seal that as fast as possible." She said.

I nodded.

Slowly, I could tell both of our hearts began to beat faster.


	9. Time.

***Present-time***

"Where are those rumored heroes, Ghiriham?" Ganondorf, King of all Evil, asked his servant.

"I don't know, master. I've searched far and wide, with no sign of them." Ghiriham replied.

After Calamity Ganon, one of Ganondorf's forms, took over Hyrule, he transformed into his mortal form.

"No matter, their absence is a very nice thing to me. I've grown tired of them thwarting my plans." Ganondorf said.

The two walked through the ruins of Hyrule. They stepped over dead bodies, Hylians and monsters alike.

Most buildings were destroyed, and the roads were split. No signs of life could be seen, because everyone was either hiding or dead.

In a small, white house, there were in fact 2 people hiding.

It was Zelda's father and Link's mother.

"Have you gotten ahold of Zelda?" Lily, Link's mother, questioned Rhoam, Zelda's father.

"No. Have you heard from Link?" 

She shook her head.

"Last I saw them, they were walking together, and Link had a sword in hand." Rhoam told her.

"Hylia, I hope they're okay.." Lily sighed.

"I'm sure they are, they're the chosen ones, after all." Rhoam comforted her.

"You're right, and Link can easily defend himself and her." She said, to which Rhoam nodded.

-

"Ah, this was all too easy." Ganondorf said, standing on top of the ancient statue of Hylia.

"Right. Too easy." A voice said.

"Who was that?" Ganondorf demanded, looking around.

The old witch stood at the bottom of the statue. She held her hand up, and in a flick of light, weakened Ganondorf's presence temporarily. 

"Gah! Who the hell are you!?" He screamed, clutching the glowing wound on his chest. It was there from the time he had been banished to the twilight realm thousands of years ago.

The witch put her hands together and prayed.

"Link, Zelda, please hurry.."

————————  
***Past-time***

Zelda POV

"Link, Zelda, help us.."

"Remember your goal.."

I awoke with a start. It felt like I had a bad dream. But a woman's voice was in my mind, asking me to help her.

Link woke up the same way. We looked at each other, wildly confused.

"Did you..?"

"I did."

"Head to the lost woods, and pull the Master Sword from its pedestal.."

Link's eyes widened.

"The legendary Master Sword!?" He exclaimed.

"Maybe we should listen to this voice..I get the feeling i've heard it before." I told him.

He nodded.

"Let's leave as soon as we can." He stated.

We both quickly got dressed, taking a few moments to remember the night before.

"Good morning-" Impa started.

"No time, we have to leave!" I explained to Impa, and we hopped on our horses.

They started running, and we were quickly at the walls of Fort Hateno.

Suddenly, the sky started turning a horrible color. It was a mix of black, purple, and an evil red. Lightning struck, and a horrifying figure swirled around out of the clouds, roaring in anger.

"Ganon.." I mumbled, unable to believe what I was seeing. 

From where we were, I could see pillars rising out of the ground in front of the castle. Guardians started pouring out of them, their usual blue lights were pink.

We ran past one, and unfortunate for us, it started aiming at us.

"What!? They're supposed to be on our side!" I shouted, and Link and I speed up our horses to escape its deadly beam.

We made it to roughly southeast Hyrule field, before a guardian shot at us. It didn't hit us, but it hit the ground in front of Storm's feet, causing him to go wild. 

I was thrown off, hitting the wet grass with a hard thud. I hadn't even realized it was pouring down rain.

"Zelda!!" Link screamed, hopping off Epona.

He helped me up, and we quickly tried to hop onto Epona. He helped me on, but wasn't able to get on himself.

The same guardian that made Storm go crazy was coming right at us.

"Link! Get on! Hurry!!" I screamed.

He looked back, then slapped Epona's leg, making her dart away. I screamed his name at the top of my lungs, watching him battle the guardian. Tears poured down my face, and I couldn't focus on the task at hand.

Epona didn't stop until we made it to korok forest. She neighed, telling me I had a job to do.

I hopped off, petting her nose. I rested my forehead against her muzzle. She knew what had just happened, and she knew it was up to me to save him.

Storm came running up to us, an actual apologetic look in his eyes. I patted his muzzle, then hurried into the Lost Woods.

-

After what felt like hours of getting lost, I made it to the Great Deku Tree.

"Great Deku Tree, Link is in danger. I need this sword to save him." I pleaded with the ancient tree.

"I'm sorry, your highness. You aren't the chosen hero, you are unable to pull out the sword. You would surely lose your life where you stand." The tree replied.

I furrowed my brows in anger, looking at the sword. All at once, memories of past lives flooded into my head.

I held my hand up, and it started glowing.

"I made this sword. I can take it if I please." I stated, covering the sword with a golden light.

I put my hands on the handle, and pulled it out with some difficulty, but it came out.

"Good day to you." I said, walking out of the Lost Woods.

Once I was out, I immediately jumped onto Epona's saddle. She ran as fast as she could to where we last saw Link, but he wasn't there.

I hopped off, and saw a trail of blood. I gasped in horror, quickly following the trail. It led into the woods, where there was a small cabin.

I burst into the cabin, where an old man sat in front of a bed with Link on it.

I dropped the sword and rushed to Link's side. I hugged him, kissing his face all over.

"You scared me.." I whispered.

"I'm sorry..I..didn't want you..to get hurt." He apologized through gritted teeth.

The doctor was stitching up a wound on his stomach, and tending to the reopened one across his chest.

I picked the Master Sword up, leaning it and its sheath against the wall.

"You actually got it..?How?" He asked.

I smiled.

"I made it, silly. In my first lifetime. I can do what I want with it." I explained.

He smiled weakly.

"I guess so.." He said.

I kissed him once more, savoring it much longer.

It was obvious we had lots of work to do.


	10. Ganon.

Link POV

One thing's for sure, that hurt. I already knew a guardian beam would hurt, but Hylia it was bad.

Anyways, it doesn't matter. I'd do anything for Zelda, and getting hit by a laser beam for her is the least of my concerns.

"We have work to do." I stated, after Zelda found the small cabin I was in.

The old man had found me, not far from his house, since I had tried to crawl to it. He took me in and stitched up my wounds, so I decided i'd have to repay him after I defeated Ganon.

"Indeed." Zelda replied. 

I slowly stood up, wincing a bit. My new wound wasn't as bad as it seemed at first. Luckily, it hit my chest plate, so it didn't go quite as far in.

I picked up the Master Sword, and it resonated a blue light.

"That's odd.." I mumbled.

I slung the sheath around my shoulder.

"Shall we head to the castle?" I asked Zelda, and she nodded slowly.

"I hope father is alright.." She said, clasping her hands together.

"I'm sure he found a safe hiding place." I reassured her.

We walked out, and I thanked the old man again. Hyrule castle could be seen in the distance, black and purple clouds surrounding it. 

I whistled for Epona, and after a minute, she came running to us.

I patted her muzzle, and she rubbed it on my face in affection.

"I'm okay girl, you don't have to worry." I told the steed, smiling. She neighed in response.

I got up onto her carefully, helping Zelda up as well.

We headed towards the castle, avoiding several guardians along the way. Eventually, we made it to the sanctum of Hyrule castle. We both gained a few scratches, nothing too bad.

Ganon responded by shaking the castle, causing the ground to break. I quickly pulled out a paraglider that had been given to me some time ago, taking hold of Zelda's arm.

"Don't let go!" I told her, and she nodded frantically.

We floated down into a room below the sanctum, with what seemed to be constellations decorating the walls.

"Fascinating..this must be where the Sheikah researched their biggest projects.." Zelda mumbled, looking around.

The ground got darker, and the ground around us as well. I looked up, and a large figure was falling from the ceiling. My eyes widened, and I picked Zelda up, throwing her out of the way of the shadow.

I knew we wouldn't be able to run fast enough, so I did all I could.

I tried to run as far as I could, but inevitably, I knew I was too late.

-

Zelda POV 

I watched in horror as Link risked his life once again to save me. I hit the ground with a thud, a sharp pain shooting through my body. But it didn't matter, I got back up.

I staggered forward, making eye contact with him.

There's nothing I can do..I thought.

Then I closed my eyes, feeling the adrenaline rushing through my veins.

"No!!" I screamed, putting my hand up. It glowed, and Ganon's descent halted midair.

Link saw what had happened, and quickly ran to my side. I put my hand down, and Ganon dropped.

He was clearly angry, letting out a wretched screech. Link and I covered our ears, wincing in pain.

Link unsheathed the master sword after Ganon let out the shriek, and got to work.

I held my hand up again, halting Ganon's movements for periods of time. Link magnificently dodged his attacks, graceful as a feather.

Ganon eventually let out another shriek, exploding into malice. The malice was seen taking a different form, a much more familiar form.

"Ganondorf." I said to the Gerudo King now standing before us.

"Ah, Zelda. Your fierceness from your past life has not faded, I see." He commented.

"Hmph. Like that'll do you any good. Link, lets finish this!" I exclaimed, and he nodded.

Ganondorf and Link locked swords, but Link was easily overpowered. 

"You see, I am much stronger in the future. It has even affected my past self. I can feel my power returning, and there is nothing you can do about it." He explained, and Link grunted.

They locked swords again, and this time, Link's mistake of trying to manage a swing proved to be fatal. Ganondorf took one giant swing, all the way up Link's torso.

My eyes widened, and Link staggered back. I rushed to his side, and he fell into my arms. 

I looked into his once colorful eyes, now void and depleted of life. He coughed, looking back at me.

"Zelda..I..love you.." He whispered, taking his last breath.

Tears streamed down my cheeks.

"Link? Link!! Link please come back!" I sobbed, clinging to his lifeless body.

I heard Ganondorf walking over, and my expression changed.

I looked up at the Gerudo, pure hatred in my eyes. I held my hand up, and once again it glowed. Ganondorf's presence could no longer be seen, as well as my own.

In the act of teleporting us, I also teleported Link to Impa's house. I trusted the Sheikah would know what to do with him. I hoped she'd bring him to the shrine of resurrection.

I found myself in a dark, endless void, face to face with Ganondorf. I knew I could only hold him here so long.

"Your power will dwindle, princess." Ganondorf remarked, smirking.

My expression didn't falter, I simply looked off into the distance.

Link..you are our final hope..The fate of Hyrule rests with you..


	11. Our light.

Link POV

I woke up one day with no memories at all. Like I had just been born.

Link..Link..Link.

I opened my eyes, my whole body feeling sore. I assumed I had been laying down for a long time.

I looked around the room I was in, not able to see much. I was under a blue light, my underwear slightly damp from the water I was in.

I stood up, wanting to figure out what was going on. I walked over to a pedestal near the door, and there was a peculiar device sitting on it.

That is a Sheikah Slate. Take it.

A voice echoed in my head, somewhat familiar, but I couldn't place my finger on it. However, the voice gave me a sense of comfort.

I picked up the small device, and it glowed, making a strange beeping noise. I buckled it onto my belt, deciding to investigate it later.

The door slowly opened, and I walked into another room. I found some old clothes laying around, putting them on. I then walked up to the door, and the voice told me to put the device on the nearby pedestal.

So, I did, and the door opened.

Link..You are the light-Our Light-That must shine upon Hyrule once again..Now, go..

Somehow, I felt like the voice was someone I knew, telling me where to go. So I listened.

I walked out of the place I was in, and I walked up to the end of the cliff. I could see a vast land.

There was a volcano in the distance, smoke billowing out the top. To the west, there was some snowy mountains with a desert below them. To the east, there was a mountain split in half. Finally, to the northeast, there was a huge object in the sky.

Just what is this place..? I thought.

-  
After meeting an old man and adding new "Powers" to this strange device I had acquired, I was told to go to where the four shrines met.

After what felt like forever of walking, I managed to find the man at the top of the ruined temple. Just walking by it gave me chills.

Once I got to the top, the old man told me it was time he introduced who he really was. So, with a blinding light, his appearance changed, and he began speaking.

"I am King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule. I was...the last leader of Hyrule. A kingdom which no longer exists. The Great Calamity was merciliess... It devastated everything in its path, lo, a century ago. It was then that my life was taken away from me. And since that time, here I have remained in spirit form.

I did not think it wise to overwhelm you while your memory was still fragile. So rather than that, I thought it best to assume a temporary form. Forgive me." The King nodded sincerely, then turned to face the castle in the distance, "I think you are now ready. Ready to hear what happened 100 years ago.

To know the know Calamity Ganon's true form, one must know the story from an age long past. The demon King was born into this kingdom, but his transformation into Malice created the horror you see now. Stories of Ganon were passed from generation to generation in the form of legends and fairy tales, but there was also... a prophecy." He closed his eyes, taking a breath before continuing.

''The signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear. And the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground.''

"We decided to heed the prophecy and began excavating large areas of land. It wasn't long before we discovered several ancient relics made by the hands of our distant ancestors. These relics, the Divine Beasts, were giant machines piloted by warriors. We also found the Guardians, an army of mechanical soldiers who fought autonomously. This coincided with ancient legends, oft repeated throughout our land. We also learned of a princess with sacred power and her appointed knight, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness. It was they who sealed Ganon away using the power of these ancient relics. One hundred years ago, there was a princess set to inherit a sacred power and a skilled knight at her side. It was clear that we must follow our ancestors' path.

A skilled individual was picked from throughout the land of Hyrule, to pilot the Divine beasts. With the princess as their commander, we dubbed these pilots Champions - a name that would solidify their unique bond. The princess, her appointed knight, and the rest of the Champions were on the brink of sealing away Ganon... But nay... Ganon was cunning, and he responded with a plan beyond our imagining. He appeared from deep below Hyrule Castle, seized control of the Guardians and the Divine Beasts, and turned them against us. The Champions lost their lives. Those residing in the castle as well. The appointed knight, gravely wounded, collapsed while defending the princess...

And thus, the kingdom of Hyrule was devastated absolutely by Calamity Ganon. However... The princess survived... to face Ganon alone. ''

"Link, you are our final hope. The fate of Hyrule rests with you."

That Princess was my own daughter... My dear Zelda. And the courageous knight who protected her right up to the very end...That knight was none other than you, Link. You fought valiantly when your fate took an unfortunate turn. And then, you were taken to the Shrine of Resurrection. Here you now stand revitalized, 100 years later. The words of guidance you have been hearing since your awakening are from Princess Zelda herself. Even now, as she works to restrain Ganon from within Hyrule Castle, she calls out for your help.

Seeing as I could not protect my own kingdom, I have no right to ask this of you, Link.. But save her.. save my daughter. Save princess Zelda."

With that, the man disappeared without a trace. 

-

I made my way off of what I found out was called the Great Plateau, my mind boggling.

Me? A knight? No way.

I didn't believe half of what the old man said, I just went along with him for his sake.

Then again..How do I know it isn't true? I asked myself.

I shook my head, looking around me. I was walking down the path to the mountain that had been split in half, the dueling peaks. 

The old man advised me to seek out the elder, Impa, to learn more about what had happened 100 years ago.

So, off I went, searching for answers on a journey I knew would be longer than I could anticipate.  
-  
Zelda POV

Link had finally woke up. It had been 100 years since he was put in the Shrine of Resurrection.

We discovered the ancient shrine around the same time we uncovered the divine beasts and the guardians. It had never been tested, so putting Link it in was a risk.

I had faith, however. I had faith he'd return to us. I would wait a thousand years for him to return.

Since then, I had been in this endless void. An invisible wall separated Ganondorf and I, so we literally sat there for a whole 100 years. I could tell he was getting stronger, but I was getting weaker. 

By the first 50 years, my legs had gave out, and I couldn't stand. By 100 years, I leaned against the wall, my eyelids heavy.

"It seems he's awake." Ganondorf said.

"No shit." I retorted, annoyed at his constant presence.

"Hm. Your rudeness does not make me want to keep you alive once I take over." He said, and I rolled my eyes.

"You won't win." I told him, and he laughed.

Link..Please Hurry..My power is dwindling..


	12. Years.

***Present time***

100 years have passed not only in the past, but in the present as well. The world is not the same as it was before Link and Zelda's "disappearance".

"Time for the daily report, Ghiriham." Ganondorf, ruler of all worlds, told his servant.

"We successfully put a stop to the riots, and discarded of the ancient books the people were studying." Ghiriham told him.

"Excellent. We can't have anyone finding about the Goddess Hylia." Ganondorf said, looking out his castle to the bustling city of Rulhye. Cars honked, others honked back. The tallest buildings stuck out, catching anyone's eye.

When Ganondorf destroyed all of Hyrule, he formed a new kingdom. The kingdom of Rulhye. He banished all traces of Goddess Hylia, so future generations would have no idea she existed. He told them he himself was a God, so they worshipped him.

The penalty for worshipping anyone but him was death. Every now and then, someone would find a secret book of Hylia, and they'd pay the price.

As Ganondorf looked at the streets, he saw people begging for food, money, or just help in general.

He sighed.

"This was all too easy. I wonder how many more years it'll be until those two brats show up.." He questioned, but shook his head.

"Your Majesty! The Bokoblin fleet has gone mad again!" One of the guards ran into the room and informed him.

He was a burly, tall man. All the guards were. Ganondorf, being a large man, was unsatisfied with small Hylians. He helped pave the way for a new type of people, a mix of Gerudo and Hylians. They were called Rulians, the citizens of Rulhye.

"Take away their food supply. They'll obey." He waved his hand dismissively, and the guard nodded.

Ganondorf stopped, looking back at the city he had built.

"Perhaps this isn't what I had in mind.." He mumbled.

-

Link POV

"The history of the royal family of Hyrule is also the history of Calamity Ganon." Impa told me.

She questioned if I knew her, but her face was as unfamiliar as all else in this land. Her granddaughter was one of the things I didn't faintly recognize. It was a change of pace for once.

It was frustrating, I'll tell you. Looking into someone's face and knowing that you've met them, but not knowing who they are. Paya, Impa's granddaughter, wasn't like that. I knew I had never met her.

It made me faintly smile, the way the blushed from me merely looking at her. She became one of my only friends in a strange world.

I walked upstairs, into her room, and saw her at her desk. She was writing in her diary.

I snuck over, looming over her shoulder quietly.

"His electric, blue eyes..." I read.

I tapped her shoulder.

She screamed, and I jumped back.

"L-L-L-Link! What are you doing up here!?" She exclaimed.

I laughed.

"I was just checking on you, Paya." I answered, and she blushed harder. I sat next to her, and she cooled her face down.

Paya leaned her head on my shoulder, and I put my arm around her.

"Link..you should get going, you have things to do." She whispered.

"Can't I take a break after freeing Vah Ruta and Vah Rudania?" I questioned, closing my eyes.

She sighed, I had obviously won her over.

I fell asleep, and I assume she did the same.

-

I popped my knuckles, staring into the cold eyes of Thunderblight Ganon. I clutched the Master Sword's handle, presuming my fighting stance. The Blight took a swing, and I narrowly dodged.

"Watch out. That thing's fast!" Urbosa, the late champion, informed me.

I nodded, picking up the pace. My sword hit its shield, causing it to break. While it was stunned, I swung the Master sword wildly, inflicting damage on my foe.

I did this a few more times, and with a horrid shriek, Thunderblight Ganon bursted in a mix of malice and evil. I stood still, able to see my own reflection in the Master Sword's sacred gleam.

Urbosa's spirit walked down the stairs, and I marveled at her beauty. I admired her, for I had heard she was a skilled fighter. 

She granted me the power of Urbosa's fury, and I could feel the lightning surging inside of me, along with the other champion's powers.

When I arrived back in Gerudo Town, Chief Riju congratulated me. I took notice she was strikingly similar to her ancestor, from the color of her eyes to the demeanor of her voice.

Anyways, I knew it was time to head to Hyrule Castle. But first, for the event that I died within that castle, I made my way to Kakariko Village. 

I went straight to Paya's room, where she was practicing her speech in the Sheikah language.

I grabbed her arm, and pulled her close to me.

She blushed, eyes widened.

"I'm about to head to the castle," I explained,"and I need to know how you feel about me. I don't know if I will live to see you again, so I am telling you this now. I'm in love with you, and if I live, we will live together forever."

She smiled softly.

"Link..I feel the same way.." She replied, and I kissed her slowly.

"I must go now." I said, breaking away from her. My expression faltered, and I plastered on a stone cold face.

I used the Sheikah slate to teleport myself into a shrine beneath the castle, then made my way up. I found my way into the sanctum, where the large hole from 100 years ago remained.

Link...

I looked around.

Link..

Nobody was in the room with me.

Link. I'm sorry, but my power isn't strong enough. I can't hold him..

With that, the hole in the ground rematerialized into a black, solid floor.

Ganondorf appeared on it, a white sword in his hand.

"It has been quite a long time, Link." He said.

I glared into his eyes, and the scars on my body ached.

I put my sword to the sky, and it's sacred glow returned.

"Divine beasts! Send me your power!" I shouted, and all across the land, a rumbling could be felt. 

Ganondorf looked around, and the area around us slowly started turning blue. In the next moment, a torrential downpour of the divine beasts' ancient power bursted into the room. 

It rained down upon him, and he fell to his knees.

I knew the battle wasn't over, so I clutched my sword, ready to finish a battle 100 years in the making.


	13. Revenge.

Zelda POV

It was almost surreal. Link, whom had died in my arms many years ago, was standing right in front of me. Ganondorf had been sealed away forever by me. I locked him in the void we had been in for 100 years, and if he did get out, it'd be in a very, very long time.

The sky cleared up, and just Link and I stood in the vast Hyrule field. There were a few guardians around, their systems powered off.

I clasped my hands together, looking at the ground. I could feel his presence behind me.

"...I've been keeping watch over you all this time..."I told him,"I've witnessed your struggles to return to us, as well as your trials in battle..

I always thought- no, I always believed- that you would find a way to defeat Ganon. I never lost faith in you over these many years.."

I turned to face him, a smile on my face.

"Thank you, Link..The Hero of Hyrule..

May I ask..Do you really remember me..?"

He looked at me, his face lacking recognition. I sighed. 

"Do you... remember your feelings for me?" I questioned.

He looked shocked, like I had asked him to marry me. He shook his head.

"I love someone already." He stated.

My eyes widened, and I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I wondered if even he heard the sound of my heart shattering, with how loud it echoed in my ears.

I gulped, my voice trembling. I looked down, wishing I had sealed myself away with Ganon.

Who is it..? I wondered.

"I..need to make my way around Hyrule. Thank you. You can go live a good life now.." I said, walking away. Tears rolled down my cheeks, so I made sure to look away.

"I'll head to Kakariko first..I need to see Impa." I said to myself.

-

I made it to Kakariko, but I couldn't help but notice Link had followed me. It frustrated me.

I hopped off the horse I had got from a nearby stable, and walked into Impa's house. She looked up, her proud expression still there.

"Princess..you have finally returned.." She said.

I smiled, walking over to the small woman. I hugged her, taking in the last little bit of family I still had left.

"My, you haven't aged a day." She said, looking into my eyes.

I giggled.

"I'm afraid I can't say the same about you." I responded, and we both laughed.

"I'm proud of you, Zelda. You have grown into a fine young woman- or should I say, old?" She told me, and we laughed again.

"Thank you Impa. But, is it okay if I stay here for a few days? I'm utterly exhausted." I asked.

The small woman nodded, a gentle smile on her face.

Link walked into the room, like he was looking for something. I hadn't even noticed a young lady on the floor until she stood up to greet him.

She kissed his cheek, and my eyes widened.

I tried to mutter a greeting, or a hateful speech. Impa grabbed my hand softly, and I turned towards her. I told her the story through my expressions, and she nodded solemnly.

"Ah, Princess.. I would've introduced myself sooner, but I didn't wish to intrude.." The girl said, and I looked at her. I looked down at her hand, which was holding Link's.

"I'm Paya, Impa's granddaughter." She said.

"Hello..Paya.." I mustered, gritting my teeth. I glared at her, then turned back towards Impa.

"Run along now, Paya. We have much to discuss." Impa told the girl, and her and Link left.

I sighed, tears rolling down my cheeks again.

"Why..why did this happen?" I asked, starting to sob.

Impa wrapped her small arms around me, wiping my tears.

"I will have a talk with Paya. I told her to stay away from him, for he had a duty to fulfill. I also did not wish to see you get hurt." Impa told me.

I looked down at the floor. I could almost see the pieces of my heart laying before me, mocking me for believing he loved me.

"Thank you, Impa.." I whispered, hugging her.

She nodded, and we made our way up to one of the guest bedrooms, where I would be staying.

When we walked in, I gasped, taking in the sight of the familiar room. I had stayed in it all the time 100 years ago, when I snuck away from my duties to research the Sheikah with Impa.

I walked over to the bed, running my hand over the sheets.

"It's exactly how I remember it.." I whispered.

Impa smiled, then made her way back downstairs.

I looked around, sitting on the bed. I plopped back, staring at the ceiling. 

"I will rebuild my kingdom and, one day, I will love someone like I love him." I told myself, laying my hand over my chest.

I closed my eyes, falling asleep almost instantly.

-

Link POV

"She has a smile like the sun...I would do much to feel it's warmth upon me once again."

I sighed. I felt love for Paya, or at least I thought I did, only for my mind to tell me I should love Zelda.

She waited 100 years for me...I told myself.

I decided I'd try to give her a chance.

So, after a long night's rest, I found Zelda wandering around Kakariko Village.

"Princess!" I exclaimed, catching her attention.

She looked towards me. Her expression saddened.

"What is it, Link?" She questioned. 

I grabbed her hand, leading her into a more private area. Her eyes were widened when I looked back at her.

"Princess, I know that I'm in love with someone, but.. I feel guilty. I want to give you a chance. Can we be friends?" I asked.

She gulped, like she was nervous to answer.

She nodded slowly. I smiled.

"Great! I'm excited to get to know you while we traverse Hyrule together." I told her, then left her to go back to wandering.

I stood still, my mind flooded with thoughts. I hoped i'd learn to love her, for I could tell she deserved love.

Looking up at the sky, I closed my eyes.

It would be a very long day.


	14. Broken.

Zelda POV

After a tiring day of planning my trek across Hyrule, I found myself sitting with Impa, looking up at the stars.

When I spoke to Link, he had this curious essence about him. He was entirely different from 100 years ago. He was so much more childlike and innocent, and he had a way of always making you smile.

I smiled softly. He had always shown that side to me, but never in public.

"What are you grinning about?" Impa asked suggestively.

My face went red.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about!" I exclaimed, stumbling on my words.

She grinned, and I looked away.

My mind went to Link's perfect smile, and his blue eyes. Even after all those years, his eyes still had that light in them. Though very faintly, I also felt like I could see the love he felt for me somewhere in those amazing eyes. Hidden among the stars.

I shook my head, said goodnight to Impa, then headed up to my room. I laid down on my bed, staring at the ceiling for a little bit. I eventually closed my eyes, falling asleep fairly quickly.

-

I woke up to the first light outside hitting my face. I could see the sun wasn't quite up, and I loved watching the sunrise. I stood up slowly, yawning on my way to the balcony.

I pushed the doors open, taking in the sky.

I walked out onto my balcony. I got to thinking for a minute, about the beauty, then about Kakariko Village, then about Link.

I was suddenly flooded with emotions, what with Link being open to the concept of loving me. I shook my head.

It looked like the sun was coming up. Last night had been a full moon, I could clearly see. It was the strangest thing, although the sky was turning into its pink hue, the full moon could still be seen. I smiled at the sight.

"Still shining, huh.." I mumbled.

Then I pictured a war between sun and moon, both wanting to fill the sky. For now, the moon had won the battle. I looked over to the horizon, where the rising sun came back to tell the moon the battle wasn't over.

I stood there for what felt like hours, watching the moon's light dim in the radiating energy from the sun. Eventually, the moon could not be as clearly and blatantly seen, but I could still see it there.

Perhaps..Like Link's love for me..I thought.

"I should head downstairs. I have a long day ahead of me." I told myself, walking back into my room. 

I stripped off my nightgown, changing into a casual blouse and some pants. I saw this as my adventure outfit.

I brushed through my hair, braiding some of my golden hair into the shape of a crown at the top. I let the rest fall onto my shoulders and my back.

I looked into my emerald eyes, sighing.

With that, I walked downstairs, to see Impa and Paya having a discussion. Impa took notice, mumbling something to Paya, then smiling at me.

"Good morning, Zelda." She greeted me.

"Good morning, Impa." I replied, giving Paya a faint nod.

"There's some riceballs in the other room, if you're hungry." Impa offered.

"Excellent! I'll take up that offer. I'm quite famished." I said, and she laughed softly.

I turned, making my way into the dining room. I could hear their conversation start up again, but I tried to shrug it off.

I grabbed a plate of riceballs, then sat and the chocolate colored table to eat.

"Heart broken...ashamed...know better...status..leader.." I heard slight parts of their conversation.

Are they..Talking about me? I wondered.

I shook my head, quickly finishing the riceballs. 

After a moment of thought, I decided to go ahead and leave before Link noticed. Last thing I wanted was him following me around.

I walked into the main room, and their conversation ended again.

"I'm going to depart now. Thank you for your hospitality, and I will try to visit soon." I told Impa, nodding my head.

She smiled.

"Please do. Have safe travels." She responded.

I walked out, catching sight of my horse. I bought a few supplies before heading over to him, then put them in the pouch attached to his saddle.

I patted his muzzle.

"Ready to go, Storm?" I asked, and he neighed in response. I giggled. I knew he was tired of standing still.

I hopped up onto his saddle, brushing out his mane for a moment. I sighed, then gently nudged his side with my boot. He started walking.

Taking out a map, I looked ahead at the road. I decided I'd head to Zora's Domain first, with it being closest.

When I were to arrive, I'd request the aid of the Zora in rebuilding Hyrule. If the King so requested, I would also gladly tell him about the side of his daughter he never saw much of.

I made it to a practically glowing blue bridge, and I knew it was the handiwork of the Zoras. It had took most of the day to arrive here, what with me getting lost a few times.

"Stupid map.." I mumbled, hopping off of storm.

I couldn't see a stable anywhere. I gripped a small knife I had also purchased in Kakariko, even though I had no experience with battle.

Almost instantly, a screaming bokoblin jumped out in front of me. I quickly pulled out the knife, holding it upside-down by the handle. I had once seen knights hold them like this.

I simply moved my arm across the bokoblin, as if there were a sword in my hand. I saw purple blood ooze out, I had actually hit it. The monster collapsed, and I breathed heavily.

"I did it!" I exclaimed, winded just from that small encounter,"That was easy."

Then, almost as if on cue, a few more bokoblins jumped out in front of me. I performed the same on a few of them, but I was quickly overwhelmed.

I jumped back, straight into a wall. The impact caused me to fall down, shocked from the sudden hit. The bokoblins raised their weapons, and I gulped.

This is how I die...I thought. I closed my eyes, bracing myself.

I felt the wind of one of the weapons come down, and as I expected to be hit, the monsters cried out in agony. I opened one eye, then the other.

The monsters were dead, but more were still coming. Not only bokoblins, but also lizalfos had joined in on the grouping up.

Lastly, I saw a figure standing in front of me.


	15. Hero.

Link POV

I was just glad I made it in time. I woke up that beautiful morning, looking for Zelda. I was annoyed that she had left without me.

I set out after her, attempting to follow any clues of where she might have went. Every once in awhile i'd catch sight of a golden piece of horse hair. I remembered seeing that Zelda's horse had golden hair.

The trail I was on led me to Inogo Bridge, where Sidon and I first met. Seeing that it was getting dark, so I set up a fire under a tree.

After only a few moments of sitting there, the shriek of a bokoblin could be heard, then it crying out in pain. 

I was alarmed at first, but decided whoever was up there had defeated that bokoblin. I closed my eyes again.

Shrieks of more bokoblins filled the air, and I didn't hear the clash of any swords.

I looked behind me, to see Zelda on the ground. 10, maybe 20, bokoblins and lizalfos surrounded her.

Jumping up, I unsheathed the Master Sword and ran to her. Just as a bokoblin swung his club down, I jumped in the way, slicing all of them in half in the motion.

More were coming, so I stood my ground and prepared for a battle. 

Lizalfos were a bit harder to beat, as they required me to be quick on my feet. We both jumped from side to side, and after a few seconds, I'd lunge forward and shove my sword through their torso.

-

After what felt like hours, but was probably only 10 minutes, all of the monsters were dead. I sheathed my sword.

I looked behind me at Zelda, who was in awe. I picked her up instinctively, carrying her over to my fire.

Leaning her up against the tree, I looked into her eyes.

Our faces were so close.

Her face was reddened, and I could feel mine following. I felt something that I had never felt.

A flashback played through my head.

~

"Link, I've been searching for someone I truly love. I refuse to be apart of a loveless marriage. I found it.

When you kiss me, my heart fills and my head goes wild. I hadn't even realized that I truly did love you, until the moment our lips met. Link, I love you. Only you, there are no royal suitors."

~

In the flashback, I was looking into what could only be Zelda's emerald eyes. They were lit up by the moonlight behind me, and my hand rested gently on her face.

I blinked a few times, and found myself looking into those eyes again.

"Um..Are you hurt..?" I asked awkwardly.

She shook her head slowly.

"Link..Thank you for saving me." She said, after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"Oh. It's nothing, really." I responded, and it went silent again.

I was sitting on the other side of the fire, leaned up against a rock.

"Maybe we should get some.."

"Yeah..Yeah. That's what I was thinking."

"Right. Goodnight, Link."

"Goodnight, Zelda."

I stood up, walking into the woods for a minute. Korok leaves were huge, and comfortable to lay on. I gathered some for Zelda to sleep on, then returned with them in tow.

I laid them down beside her, nodding gently. She mumbled a faint "Thank You."

I walked back over to the rock, leaning up against it again. The Master Sword was laying beside me, my hand next to the handle. Zelda laid down, closing her eyes.

After a minute, she opened them.

"Link..aren't you going to go to sleep?" She asked.

"I'm keeping watch." I responded. I could tell she didn't like that, but she nodded and closed her eyes again.

I looked into the fire, as it danced and crackled. After a minute of staring at it, I could see her face.

My eyes widened, and I looked away. My stomach grumbled.

I'm so hungry..I thought.

I stood up, walking over to Epona, my horse.

"Let me know if you see anything suspicious, okay?" I told her, patting the steed's muzzle.

I walked down into the woods, bow in hand.

Crouching down, I nocked an arrow onto the metal bow, looking around me.

I saw a rabbit hop out into the open. I grinned slightly, drawing the bowstring back. I took aim, and after a few seconds, let the arrow loose.

It felt like it happened in slow motion. Like I could see every twist and turn the arrow made on its way to the rabbit. I could see it penetrating through the hide and the skin of the small creature.

I shook my head, walking over to the kill. I took the arrow out, picking it up slowly.

As I walked back over to the fire, I decided Zelda would eat some in the morning. I didn't care to bother her. 

I sat back down at the fire, taking a small knife out. I skinned the rabbit, putting the hide in my pouch. Could be useful later on.

Once the Rabbit was fully skinned, it was simply tied to a stick and held over the fire.

I could feel myself drooling at the smell and sight of it. I hadn't been able to catch many rabbits during my journey across Hyrule, so I mainly ate apples and beef.

Once the outside was glimmering with grease and was a bit of a darker brown color, I took the rabbit off the fire. I took out a piece of cloth, setting the meat down on it. 

Using my knife, I split it straight down the middle, so we would have equal amounts.

I looked up at Zelda, and her nose was sort of twitching. I could barely contain my laughter.

I wrapped her share up in another piece of cloth, setting it to the side.

Once that was taken care of, I immediately started eating. I hadn't ate all day.

It tasted so good. There's no beating fresh cooked meat out in the woods. Don't get me wrong, I love any type of food. I'm actually quite the glutton.

"Link.." Zelda giggled. I hadn't even noticed she was watching me eat like a wolf.

"I-I'm sorry Princess! I..didn't mean to show such an ugly sight." I stuttered, face turning red.

She giggled more, sitting up.

"It's cute. Also, don't call me princess." She stated, and I nodded.

"Well..since you're awake, you can go ahead and eat your share." I told her, and she nodded excitedly.

I tossed it to her, and she smelt the meat.

"Wow, it smells delicious!" She exclaimed, and I laughed.

"Have you never had meat in the wild like this, my lady?" I questioned teasingly.

She threw a small pebble at my forehead.

"Ow!"

"Hmph! That's what you get, jerk!" She said angrily.

"Seriously, have you?" I questioned again.

She sighed.

"I haven't. I was kept in the castle for all those years before Calamity Ganon. I only came out to pray, or occasionally study. You were usually with me." She responded.

I nodded slowly.

We ate in silence, but it wasn't awkward this time. We were just appreciating how good the food was.

I finished rather quick, putting the bones in my pouch.

"We can use these bones to play with some dogs later." I told her, smiling.

Her eyes lit up, and she nodded.

Once she finished eating, we said our goodnights again, and she went back to sleep.

This time, I put out the fire. I looked up at the stars, then down at her face.

"This isn't the first time i've seen that face under starlight...." I said to myself.

Another flashback ran through my mind, and as I looked at her face, I realized she wasn't lying to me.

*****

Let me know in the comments if you know what chapter the flashback you saw is from! 😊


	16. Remember.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “May I ask... do you really remember me?”

Zelda POV

It was true, I had never had fresh meat out in the wild. My journeys to pray at the springs never left me out in the wild.

I woke up and saw that the sun wasn't up yet, and Link was no where in sight.

Stretching, I sat up. I put my hand on my chest, smiling softly.

"The way he looked at me..." I mumbled, blushing faintly.

I could hear footsteps behind me, and I whipped my head around. I gripped the handle of my knife, which was on the ground beside me.

They got closer, and eventually, I saw Link carrying some apples and firewood.

I sighed in relief.

"Morning." I told him, and he looked alarmed for a second, then smiled faintly.

"Morning. I got some apples for us to cook. You can have yours raw if you want, though." He told me.

"I don't believe I've had baked apples." I said, tapping my chin.

"What!?" He exclaimed, "They taste like apple pie!"

"In that case, I'll try them!" I responded, clapping my hands together.

He nodded, and handed them to me. Throwing down the firewood on the ashes, he knelt down, taking out a piece of flint along with his knife.

He struck the flint, getting a few small sparks. His eyebrows furrowed, since he was unable to get the fire started.

"Let me try." I said, and he looked skeptical at first, but handed me the knife and the flint.

After a few tries, I managed to get the wood to catch on fire. I fanned the flame, causing it to grow bigger. I grabbed one of the Korok leaves and threw it on top. It caught fire magnificently.

I smiled at him, handing the two items back.

"Sorry..I just couldn't get a spark." He mumbled, clearly embarrassed, due to the fact that he had his hand on the back of his neck.

I giggled. He used to do that when he was nervous all the time 100 years ago.

"It's alright." I told him.

He grabbed the apples, setting them on the edges of the fire. Every once in awhile, he'd rotate them.

After what felt like hours, he said that the apples were ready.

He handed me 3, and gave himself 4.

I laughed quietly.

Still quite the eater, I see...I thought to myself.

I sat there, waiting for mine to cool, while he dug in.

He looked up, shaking his head frantically.

"No, no! It's best while hot!" He exclaimed through chewing.

"Oh, if you say so." I responded.

I took a bite into one of the apples, and it melted in my mouth. It did taste like apple pie. Before I knew it, I was eating just as fast as he was.

"Sho..good.."

"I..know!"

I leaned back against the tree behind me, and he leaned back against the rock behind him.

"Goddesses...that was good. Better than expected." I sighed, considering staying there or continuing to Zora's Domain.

I decided to keep going.

Slowly, I stood up, fixing my hair. I grabbed one of the apples we didn't cook, and fed it to Storm.

"I'm going to continue making my way to Zora's Domain now." I told him, "Thank you for saving me, giving me protection, and giving me food."

"I'm coming with you." He responded, standing up as well.

I knew he wasn't going to back down, so I just nodded and walked over to my horse. 

Grabbing the horn of Storm's saddle, I hoisted myself up. Link did the same onto Epona. 

Link took out the Sheikah Slate, pressing some buttons on it.

"I think you're the one that should have this." He suggested, handing it to me.

"Thank you! I can keep up my research from 100 years ago with this!" I exclaimed, looking through the device. 

I looked through the pictures I took, and the ones Link took. He had beautiful pictures of views from what looked like the top of Dueling Peaks, and the Eldin Volcano. 

I buckled the slate onto my belt, deciding to look through it later.

I nudged Storm's side, and Link did the same with Epona. We made our way across what Link told me was Inogo bridge. I looked at the Sheikah Slate, and it confirmed that was the name of the structure.

I put it back down, preparing my mind for the approximately 2 hour trip to Zora's Domain.

-

"I'd like to request the aid of the Zoras in helping rebuild Hyrule. We could use the unique and sturdy materials." I requested.

"We're more than glad to help! We owe your knight everything. He saved us." King Dorephan, leader of the Zoras, boomed.

I bowed, sincerely thanking him.

I looked over at Link, and he looked back at me. I smiled, mouthing the words, "One down".

He nodded, and I left them to talk. We decided Link would tell him about Mipha, since he was much closer to her.

Wandering through the market square, multiple shops caught my eye. I purchased some fish, to cook for dinner later on.

He'd like that...I told myself.

I looked towards the Divine Beast Vah Ruta, and suddenly felt an urge to explore it.

"Sidon told me we'd explore it together..Where did he run off to?" I mumbled.

Since Sidon was nowhere in sight, I made my way up to the divine beast alone. Reaching the top, I thought about how excited I was to study this mechanical wonder. I hadn't been able to study them much 100 years ago, due to my father urging me to pray.

My heart dropped. I looked out towards the castle, thinking of him.

"I failed you, father..I tried, and I failed you all.." 

"I..left you...all to die.." I whispered, tears pouring down my cheeks.

"They understand. They're proud of you."

I lifted my head up, turning around.

"Link.." I mumbled, "I..didn't realize you were listening."

He walked over to me, grabbing my hands.

"I don't remember them, or the way they were. But, they told me themselves. I saw them, Zelda. I saw their spirits." He explained, "Mipha, Revali, and Daruk told me to save you. It fueled me in my fight with Ganon."

His eyes grew softer. Mine were widened, tears still running down my face.

"Urbosa..she told me she couldn't be more proud of her little bird." He whispered.

I started sobbing into his chest. Link wrapped his arms around me, rubbing my back.

"I can't dwell on the past. I don't even remember it," He chuckled sadly, "and I can't let you dwell on it either. You saved my life. I'm proud of you as well."

"I love you, Link..." I whispered softly, knowing he wouldn't hear it.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Eventually, we climbed up onto the beast, and he showed me around.

For once, I wasn't studying this fascinating machine...

His face was all I could focus on.


	17. Temperature of the Heart.

Zelda POV

Even after Link's reassurance, I still was unable to clear my mind of all the champions' faces.

After exploring the machine, we found ourselves sitting on Vah Ruta's trunk. The view was incredible, watching the sun go down from so high up.

However, while we were up there, Link got this strange atmosphere about him. I talked about the order we'd see each Divine Beast in, but it didn't seem like he was listening. His mind was wandering.

"Link?"

"Link? Are you even listening?"

"Link"

He jumped.

"S-Sorry Zelda... I was lost in thought." He stuttered, and I smiled.

"It's alright. If you don't mind me asking, what were you thinking about?" I questioned.

His expression saddened. He looked back towards the domain, sighing.

"Mipha... I had a memory of her. We were sitting up here. She healed me, telling me she'd always protect me." He explained.

I grabbed his hand, squeezing it.

"I'm sorry. I can't imagine what you must be going through." I mumbled, and he nodded.

"I'm sorry too. It just came to mind, that's all." Link stated, standing up. He held his hand out to me, helping me up.

We walked back to the domain, ready for bed. We'd be leaving tomorrow, towards Hateno Village. I wanted to check in on Purah, since I'd also been close with her 100 years ago.

Link and I parted ways after dinner, sleeping on the not-so-plush beds that the Zora offered. 

"I can't wait until we reach Gerudo Town. They have the best beds." I said to myself. 

Gerudo Town had always been my favorite place to be. At night, the muscular figures of the soldiers gave a nice sense of protection. It was clear nobody would try to assassinate you in your sleep.

That's a weird thing to think of. I thought to myself, wondering why I was concerned about being assassinated. 

Urbosa's face came to mind. Her little bird, powerless and in love, is trying to rebuild Hyrule.

"Urbosa...are you proud, I wonder.." I whispered.

"..I couldn't be more proud, my little bird. Hyrule is in very good hands..."

I smiled softly.

"Thank you. I won't let you down." I stated.

I closed my eyes, falling asleep.

-

Link POV

The more memories seeing Zelda's face and smile gave me, the more I wanted to be around her. Looking into her eyes made me remember events from 100 years ago, but also ignited feelings inside me.

For example, her being right in my face while waking me up was a very familiar situation.

At first I was shocked, but as she moved I got used to her being there. She told me that it was time for us to leave, so I got dressed and we quickly ate.

The ride to Hateno felt like it would take long, but the two locations aren't very far apart. We made it there about noon, and that was without stopping. 

Once we arrived, we ate some lunch then headed up to the ancient lab.

Purah was a strange little person. The size of a toddler, with the brain of someone over 100 years old. It was hard to wrap my head around that. To be honest, I didn't believe anything she said. That is, until Zelda immediately hugged her.

It wouldn't make much sense for Zelda to hug her and know her if it wasn't someone she knew. While they chatted up a storm, Symin and I played around with the Sheikah Sensor +.

We searched for mushrooms, apples, and lizards. I had never really gotten accustomed to using the Sheikah Sensor, due to the fact it functioned without me having to touch it.

Anyways, after a while, I headed down into Hateno Village to chat with the people I had acquainted. Zelda followed, saying she wished to stop by the clothing store. It felt like I had heard her say that before.

While she was shopping for clothes she didn't need, I decided to check out the jewelry store. It was the one place I hadn't already been, never having a need for jewelry during my travels.

I walked in, a sense of familiarity hitting me as I did.

Walking up to the counter, I marveled at the beautiful rings, earrings, and necklaces. I was able to see my own reflection in the surfaces of some of them, but none particularly caught my eye.

Then, I looked up. Behind the counter was a large case, enclosed in glass. I could clearly see my reflection in the ring the glass protected, with how it shimmered. It was the same color as Zelda's eyes, and I just had to have it.

"Excuse me, can I see that ring?" I questioned the worker, and he nodded slowly.

Carefully taking it out, he picked up the priceless piece of jewelry. 

"It's not for sale, but you may look at it." He told me, handing the ring to me.

As I held it, I could see my eyes and face in it. In my head, as well. But my face looked different in my eyes than it did in my head. A memory played through my head, and I ran my finger over the triforce symbols.

"How..How did you find this?" I mumbled.

"Hm? We found it nearly 20 years ago, in a pair of Hylian trousers someone found. They donated it to us, and its been on display since." The worker explained, "In fact, this ring was made here, over 100 years ago. A young man purchased it one day, but some say he was killed in the Great Calamity. The pants were found near Kakariko Village, rips and tears in them."

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I'm the one who bought this ring." I stated.

The man widened his eyes, then burst into laughter.

"That is good! Like you are the one from 100 years ago, that died in the Calamity, standing in front of me! I should give you the ring just for that!" He exclaimed.

"My name is Link Lorule. I was the Hylian Champion, and I am indeed the one who bought this ring." I stated angrily, "Doesn't this tunic look familiar? It's none other than the Champion's tunic."

The man's eyes were widened. I walked out of the store, to the clothing store. I grabbed Zelda's arm, leading her to the jewelry store.

"Link! What are you doing!?" She shouted, but I kept on.

The man was in the same place, his expression hadn't changed.

"P-Princess Zelda! You're alive!?" He exclaimed, bowing.

"Zelda, tell this man my name is Link Lorule."I demanded.


	18. Hidden Gem.

Link POV

Zelda nodded her head slowly, confirming my identity.

The bewildered man flipped through the records of all the shop's sales, all the way to at least 200 years ago. He flipped to 100 years ago, and the ring in my hand was written down.

"The Promise.." He mumbled, reading my name after it.

I grinned.

"Thank you for your purchase..." He said, closing the book. He handed me a small velvet box, and I put the ring in it.

Zelda and I walked out, our hands nearly touching. I wanted to hold her hand, but I didn't really know how she'd react.

As we walked into the streets, people were gathered around, confusion etched onto their faces.

"It's Princess Zelda..." 

"Princess Zelda and her Knight.."

I looked down at Zelda's hand. An image flashed into my mind, of that same hand being quickly dropped. The images of the people came into my mind as well, disgust on their faces.

I stopped.

"Who cares...?" I mumbled, cautiously looking around.

Not moving a muscle, the people continued to look on to us. Zelda stopped, and time slowed. The faces molded into sets of watchful eyes, and the world went dark.

Zelda turned around, and it was as if she was moving in slow motion.

"Link...

Link.

Do...Do you remember?"

I reached out to her, but the clatter of chains interrupted me. I looked down at my body, chain-bound to the ground that had gone dark, unable to move.

"Zelda..please..I can't see."

"Show me the way. I want..I want to remember."

I could no longer see Zelda's face, her silhouette standing right in front of me.

Her golden hair cascaded around her face, but I couldn't see her eyes. The corners of her lips twitched upwards into a small smile.

She put her hand on my face, and the world around me lit up.

I could hear my chains hit the floor, my arms free from the prison I had been in.

The girl in front of me leaned forward, whispering into my ear.

"I love you, Link..."

"I remember. I'm here." I stated, "My past self lives on, inside me. It must be awoken."

She smiled.

"You're correct. Don't lose hope..You will.." 

She started fading away, her lips moving, but I couldn't hear what she said. I sighed, deciding it was time to return to the world. I could remember everything, but I couldn't stay that way.

I'd have to regain my memories. They were locked away, hidden in a place in my heart.

Slowly, the bustle of Hateno Village could be heard in this void I saw. I blinked, and when my eyes reopened, I was back to reality.

Zelda could still be seen, walking ahead, her head low. I believed I saw a glimmer of a tear run down her face.

I shook my head, jogging slightly to catch up to her.

-

Zelda POV

I saw the same thing he saw. I knew his consciousness was in there, but it had yet to wake up. 

At first, I thought he was doubting himself due to the stares of the people. However, I could feel my own consciousness contacting him, as in a means of spirit communication.

He stood there for a few seconds before catching up with me. We walked to the inn, saying our goodnights.

As I laid in my bed, it felt as though I could hear the real him breathing in the next room.

"The more memories you make here, the less you'll be able to remember. Your brain is unable to handle the intense amount of inactivity, to a sudden wake of activity."

I sighed.

"The brighter that light gets,  
The longer your shadow becomes.  
When the light is too dazzling,  
Will I be able to see behind you?"

-

A faint knocking could be heard on my door, at around 7 in the morning.

I grumbled, knowing it was time to leave. Not wanting to waste anytime, I reluctantly got up, stretching. I brushed through my messy hair, putting it in its usual braid crown.

Once I finished getting ready, I walked down the stairs to find the guests wandering about. A few smiled, I smiled back, and we exchanged Good Mornings.

Absolutely famished, I sat at the table, happily eating breakfast with the people who seemed to be older than me. 

After I finished eating, I stood up to leave. Before I did, a frail, old lady walked up to me slowly.

"My...aren't you a sight for sore eyes." She laughed softly, patting my back.

I smiled sweetly, laughing with her.

"How old are you, darling?" The small woman questioned.

"One hun- I uh...Seventeen." I stuttered, remembering I didn't exactly look my age.

"Seventeen! My, such a young age for that pretty face." She teased, smiling weakly.

I blushed slightly.

"Thank you ma'am, but I really must be going." I suggested, and she frowned.

"Ah, do you suppose you could be a dear, and help me carry my things to my home?" She requested politely, to which I nodded.

I grabbed her bags, and we walked slowly out of the building. She led me towards the entrance of Hateno Town, down into the woods right outside the gate.

We walked down a small path, and I looked around cautiously.

"I wasn't aware of a house back here.." I mumbled, to which the old lady giggled.

"Because there isn't one. You have been fooled!" She shouted, disappearing in a puff of red smoke.

I dropped the bags, looking around in fear.

"Yiga clan." I grunted, gritting my teeth.

Suddenly, I briefly felt something hit my head, and I toppled to the ground. It ached for just a few seconds, before my vision went dark.


	19. How long?

Zelda POV

I jolted awake, unaware of what had happened. I pieced together the events leading up to it, slowly remembering what happened to me.

My head throbbed, and I wondered if I had been bleeding. I softly felt the back of my head, wincing from even the slight touch. It didn't feel like there was any dried blood.

Putting my hand down, I looked around, taking in my surroundings. I was in a dark room, with only a candle illuminating the space. The door, made of what looked to be spruce, was tightly closed.

I realized I was somewhere in Gerudo desert, due to the walls being made of sandstone. Also, it was really hot.

"How long have I been out...?" I mumbled to myself, standing up.

I reached for the Sheikah Slate, to check the time of day, except it wasn't there. My mind went into a frenzy, imagining the worst.

"Oh Hylia...What could they possibly want with the Sheikah Slate?" I wondered, praying they merely confiscated it, with no reason for taking it.

I sat there for a moment, pondering on how to escape.

Will Link be able to find me? I questioned in my head, How can I contact him... Perhaps the same way I did from Hyrule castle. 

I clasped my hands together, and they started glowing. I fell over from exhaustion, my head hurting too horribly to do much of anything.

Blinking a few times, I laid on the makeshift bed I had been on. It was merely a thin sheet on top of a slightly thicker sheet. Not the most comfortable, but it was certainly better than sleeping on the ground.

I decided to rest, in an attempt to calm my headache. Closing my eyes, I was quickly able to fall asleep, due to exhaustion.

-

Link POV

"Zelda, time to finally get up." I demanded, knocking on Zelda's door.

I furrowed my brows.

Knocking a few more times, I flung the door open, but Zelda was no where in sight.

"She..didn't leave without me again, right?"

I went downstairs, then outside.

Fortunate for me, it had rained the night before, allowing me to easily tell whether she had left or not.

I looked at the ground below the gate. There were no hoof prints in the overly muddy entrance.

She must've went to see Purah and Symin. I thought to myself.

So, I walked up to the ancient tech lab, in search of the princess. She wasn't there either.

"Perhaps she is out exploring Hateno, or somewhere in the woods." I reassured myself, attempting to push the worst to the back of my head.

I stopped by all the shops, and found no trace of her.

My stomach grumbled, and I decided to head back to the inn for breakfast. I assumed she'd return from her adventuring soon enough.

As I ate, I struck up a conversation with one of the fellow guests.

"So what are you doing in Hateno?" He questioned.

"Oh, I'm here with Princess Zelda, visiting the ancient tech lab." I answered, finishing the delicious omelet.

"Where'd she run off to?"

I shrugged.

"Say... I believe I saw her leave with Elma, one of the people that cooks here occasionally." The man informed me, and I nodded.

"Thank you. Do you suppose they were heading to her home?" I inquired, standing up.

He nodded slowly.

"Yes. I believe that is where they were going. I think I've heard her say her house is right outside the gate, though i'm not sure." He concluded.

I smiled, thanking him once more before leaving the inn.

While walking down the hill, I wondered why I hadn't seen a house by the gate before. As I stood there, in front of the gate, I saw no house, only a small path.

I followed it, and it led to me a small circle of dirt. I looked at the ground.

The dirt was kicked up, signs of a struggle. I knelt down, before noticing a small strand of hair.

Golden hair.

My heart leapt into my throat, my mind piecing together what had happened. I noticed a giant club on the ground, almost tucked away behind a tree.

I feared for Zelda and the lady that had been with her. Neither of them had the ability to protect themselves, I was sure of that.

My only questions were: Who would do that to Zelda; and where did they take her?

How am I ever gonna find her...I questioned myself.

I looked closer at the ground, hoping to find something, anything, that would help me find Zelda.

-

I sat there for hours. Soon enough, the sun was going down. I put my hand on the back of my neck, trying to soothe the pain. It was awfully sunburnt.

I found nothing. Not a trace. I didn't know where to begin looking.

After lots of thought, I knew i'd have to find her one way or another.

"I will look in every damn corner of this land, I swear to Hylia. I will find you, Zelda." I declared, staring up at the ceiling.

As much as I wanted to continue planning out my newly formed trek across Hyrule, I decided it would be better for me to rest.

First thing in the morning, I'd leave for Death Mountain. Second, I'd look all through Hyrule field on my way to Rito Village, where I'd attempt to search the mountains of Hebra for Zelda.

Next, I was going to head to Gerudo desert, then Faron. Lastly, I'd search Zora's Domain. I was hoping I'd at least have found her before even had to go to the Domain.

After checking over my plan in my head, I finally closed my eyes, ready to get some sleep.

I reached out towards the ceiling absentmindedly, mumbling Zelda's name under my breath.

I was not going to fail her ever again.

—————

A/N: Detective Linkachu 😂


	20. Hope.

Link POV

It's been one week since I started looking for Zelda. After looking everywhere I could near and almost in death mountain, I had to continue on. I got the feeling that the kidnapper wouldn't want to stay in the heat of the mountain anyways.

So, I reached Rito Village at nearly sunset, the sky bathed in an orange color. I looked around at the abundance of trees found in Hebra, being reminded of Zelda's emerald eyes.

For my sake, I told the Rito of what happened to their Princess. Their faces molded into sadness, anger, and vengeance. It was safe to say that I had the Rito helping me search.

Once I got a room, I headed out to the platform known as Revali's landing. I sat on the edge, my legs dangling off. I watched the sun go down, just as Zelda would want to do.

I smiled softly.

"Not so long ago, I was alone and lost. Then, you came along, and I was home. Thank you for finding me." I whispered, knowing she wouldn't hear me.

The sun went down, and I stood up, returning to my room. I took one last look at the blanket of stars lighting up the night sky, then laid down to rest.

-

As I trudged through the ankle-high snow, I wondered where to begin looking in the freezing mountains.

I imagined a cave, dimly lit to remain hidden. Then, I got a stupid idea.

"Zelda!!" I began screaming, hoping for a response.

Quickly, I threw that idea to the side. Then it hit me, like a ton of bricks.

"Yiga!" I shouted, turning around. I grabbed my shield off my back, surfing down the distance I had walked on it.

I whistled for Epona, and she began running towards me. Quickly hopping off my shield and putting it on my back, I jumped onto her back.

I nudged my boot into her side hard, telling her she needed to run fast.

"Fuck...I'm so stupid!" I grumbled, whipping Epona's reins. She neighed in response, speeding up.

Quickly, I was out of the Hebra region, running on the outskirts of Hyrule Field.

-

Around noon, I was nearing the stable outside of Gerudo Desert. I heard something above me, looking up. Before I knew it, an arrow was coming right at me.

It sunk into my arm, tearing its way through skin and flesh alike.

I screamed in pain, falling off my loyal stallion. I clutched my arm, unable to feel below the fresh wound. Quickly, I pulled the arrow out, releasing another scream.

Seeing another arrow coming at me, I rolled out of the way. I grabbed my bow off my back, nocking an arrow and drawing the string. Pain shot through my whole body. However, I endured, shooting the monsters above me.

I lowered my bow, slowly putting it on my back. Epona walked up to me, rubbing her muzzle on my cheek. I nodded, climbing up onto her back using my other arm.

She ran to the stable, quickly might I add, and I hopped off. Immediately, the owner noticed my wound, and ordered for one of the stablehands to get the bandages and medicine.

I sat at the table inside, carefully rolling up my sleeve. Blood quickly covered my arm, and I winced. The stablehand hastily sat next to me with the requested items.

She cautiously cleaned up the blood, applying pressure to the wound. I gritted my teeth, the wound feeling as if it was burning. The woman poured some medicine on the bandages, then wrapped it tightly around my arm.

I smiled at her through gritted teeth, and she smiled back.

"Thank you." I told her, to which she nodded.

"It's nothing," She responded, " If I may be so bold, what happened?"

"Some monster shot me from above. I'm just lucky it didn't hit my head." I recounted, shuddering slightly.

She nodded.

I headed outside, grabbing my Gerudo voe armor out of the pouch on Epona's saddle. I changed into it behind the stable, my bandaged arm covered up. 

After changing, I wasted no time in beginning my trek to the Yiga Clan hangout.

-

Zelda POV

"Hah! Some knight, completely forgetting about his princess."

"I know, right? We might as well just kill her at this point. Obviously she's not what will lure him here."

I grumbled under my breath, leaning up against the warm sandstone wall.

"He really doesn't give a fuck about me." I mumbled angrily.

Bruises lined my body, from my head to toes. I had two black eyes, and bruises on my neck from being nearly suffocated. There were bruises on my back, the result of being hit with the handle of a whip.

More bruises could be seen on my wrists and ankles. I stared down at the floor, listening to the guards talk.

Suddenly, I heard a loud thud, and the guards weren't speaking anymore. I lifted my head up slightly, before returning my gaze to the floor.

"Zelda!" A familiar voice whisper-shouted.

I looked up, seeing Link's face.

"Why are you here?" I questioned, standing up.

"To rescue you," Link responded, " I'm so sorry it took so long. I had no way to know where you were taken or who took you, so I had no choice but to search Hyrule."

A ghost of a smile was on his face.

"I told myself I'd search every damned corner of this land to find you, and here you are." He stated.

I looked down.

Now I remember why I fell in love with him.

He pick-locked the door, opening it. Immediately, he rushed in, hugging me. My eyes widened, not quite used to the feeling.

I hugged him back anyways, loving the feeling of being in his arms after so many years.

"Let's get you out of here."

"Okay."

He took my hand, leading me carefully around guards that he was unable to take out. While walking, however, I stepped on a squeaky plank of wood.

Link looked back, fear and panic in his eyes. A loud whistle echoed through the hideout, indicating a target was spotted.

Clan members appeared all around us, holding their sickles up.


	21. Savior.

Link POV

Yiga Clan members are not by any means difficult to defeat alone. Hordes of them, one after the other, is quite overwhelming, however. So, when I found myself surrounded by the inhumanly slender foes, I did the only thing I could.

Snapping my fingers, lightning bolts struck every living thing for miles. I took the opportunity to grab Zelda's hand once more and get the hell out of there.

We ran into a dead end. A room, with a chest sitting upon a small pedestal. I cursed under my breath.

Clan members came up behind us, so I slammed the door we came through shut. It locked automatically.

Zelda looked at me, an apologetic look on her worried face.

"I'm sorry.." She mumbled, to which I shook my head.

"Don't apologize. We'll be okay." I reassured her, and she smiled slightly.

Suddenly, the wall in front of us began making noise. There was a portion of the wall that rotated, acting as a door. On the other side of it was the new Yiga Clan leader.

I took a deep breath, motioning for Zelda to stay put. Walking outside, I unsheathed the Master Sword.

The man cackled, saying a few things about how I was going to meet my doom. I shook my head, and the battle began.

Immediately, he rushed towards me, his demoncarver glinting in the harsh sunlight. I managed to dodge just in time, surprised by the already obvious skills he had compared to the previous leader. Time slowed down, and I was able to let loose with a flurry of attacks on the man's back.

He swung around with another attack, once again barely missing me. Blood ran down my arm from the reopened wound, and I tried to ignore it while hastily dodging the quick attacks.

However, the man got the best of me. He disappeared, reappearing right beside my arm and stabbing something into the wound. I let out a gut wrenching scream of pain, falling to the ground. Blood stained the sandstone, and I let out low groans of agony.

The Yiga Clan leader raised his weapon, savoring the moment where I met my doom.

Zelda's face flashed through my head.

I'm sorry Zelda... I couldn't save you.

-

Zelda POV

I watched as Link fell to the ground, clutching his arm in pain. My eyes went blurry with anger, quickly devising a plan.

Absentmindedly, I ran to into the open area. Rushing to Link's side, I grabbed the Master Sword. It was unbelievably heavy.

I took a swing at the slender man, and he quickly dodged. We stood eye to eye, my heart pounding in my ears. 

I closed my eyed for just a second, a memory flashing through my head.

-

"Just like that. Stay on the tips of your toes, never let the enemy trip you up!"

"Don't let the enemy see fear. Make them think you have no fear, and that you're ready to put up one hell of a fight."

-

Urbosa's smile accompanied the memory. I nodded, following her instructions.

I began walking from side to side, circling my enemy. When he took a swing at me, I blocked, parrying the attack. The weight of the Master Sword knocked him back, temporarily stunning him.

I lurched forward, plunging the sword into his gut. He whispered something in my ear, then I felt a sudden sharp pain in my back.

I screamed out in pain, dropping the sword. Falling to my knees, my whole body began to shake in pain. The man had already fell, his lifeless body mocking me.

Slowly, my hand came in contact with my back. I looked at my hand, and it was completely covered in blood.

"Zelda..." Link mumbled, his gaze on me, "Quickly. Let's get out of here."

I shook my head, standing up weakly and heading over to him. I tried to help him up, but he stood on his own.

Examining his arm, my vision continued going blurry and dark.

"C-Come.. you need to bandage that up..." I mumbled, feet shuffling.

I didn't make it very far, before my legs gave out and I was on the ground.

The last thing I saw was Link picking me up carefully, leaning me over his shoulder.

-

When I woke up, I was in a small room dimly lit by a candle. Link could be seen, slumped in the chair next to the bed I was on. A bandage was wrapped around his arm.

I smiled softly at his faint snoring. It was cute.

Quickly, I averted my eyes, frowning. I was still slightly mad at him for making me wait. Surely, after 100 years, a week wouldn't hurt. But no, the fact that I felt so foolish vexed me. 

Forgiveness, I thought.

When I looked back over at him, his eyes were slowly fluttering open. His electric blue eyes were gazing at me, making my heart beat faster.

"Good Morning..." He mumbled, and I smiled weakly.

"Good Morning to you as well, Link." I responded, attempting to sit up. I winced in pain.

He stood up, shaking his head. Slowly and cautiously, he laid me back down.

"Hey, hey... You have to take it easy for a few days, okay? You get to stay in bed." He explained, to which I pouted.

"I don't even have my books on ancient technology!" I whined, crossing my arms.

He chuckled.

"I'm sure we can find tons of books on Gerudo history." Link reassured me, to which I nodded excitedly.

I frowned.

"Link..." I mumbled.

He raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner.

"What... What happened to your arm?" I wondered, motioning towards the bandage wrapped around his arm.

"Ambush," He replied, "I would've treated it more, but... I had to get to you."

I looked away.

"What took so long...?" I whispered, almost hoping he didn't hear it.

He sighed.

"I'm sorry. I had no leads to where you could be, so, I started to search all of Hyrule. It was only when I was trudging through the Hebra mountains that I realized where you were." He lamented, an apologetic look on his face and buried in the seas in his eyes.

Slowly, I took his hand.

"It'll be okay. We're together now, that's all that matters." I stated.

Link smiled, nodding in agreement.


	22. Move on.

Zelda POV

When Link's hand rested upon my face, it felt so natural. Like his hands were meant to interlock with mine, or caress my face.

Gently, his thumb ran over my cheekbone. I admired the passion in his eyes, like I could metaphorically feel hearts in my own. I felt myself melting under his gaze. Neither of us dared to look away.

Slowly, Link's stunning features got closer and closer to me. My heart pounded in my ears, and I feared that he would hear it. Silently, I begged my excited heart to calm down.

Stubbornly, the closer he got, the faster my heart beat. I laid my hand on top of his, as if to say, "Go on".

His forehead rested on mine. I could tell he was hesitating. I smiled softly, squeezing his hand. Before I knew it, his lips met mine.

I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. His lips were soft, surprisingly for a hero. I expected them to be rough. He was a gentle kisser. I knew he wouldn't even think about doing anything to me without permission.

I smiled into the kiss, it becoming slightly more heated. Opening my mouth slightly, I allowed his tongue to explore my mouth. Even his tongue tasted good, like a taste I can't explain.

It was, if I may be so bold, manly. At the same time, it was sweet and gentle. Like a puppy licking you.

Slowly, we pulled away. I sighed in bliss, my arms around his neck. I hugged him tightly, and he attempted to hug me back without hurting me.

When he couldn't see my face, a few tears of joy ran down my cheeks. I dug my face into the crook of his neck, wanting nothing more than to forever be in his arms.

Someone cleared their throat.

Link and I let go of our embrace, to see a tall Gerudo in the doorway.

"Breakfast is ready." She simply stated, then walked off. Link sighed.

"I'll go get you some breakfast." He told me, cupping my cheek once more. I smiled and rested my hand on his, nodding.

He left to go get us breakfast, and I let my eyes wander around the room. My eyes lit up when I saw a large bookcase.

Slowly, I stood, wobbling over to the bookcase. My back ached, but I ignored the pain. Leaning my arm against the shelf, I searched through the books. I noticed a book with the word, "Technology", and I hastily pulled it out.

It was about divine beast Vah Naboris. I could hardly contain my joy.

"What are you doing?" A voice asked, making me jump slightly. I turned my head to the side, to see Link looking at me questionably.

"Well..Thats..Um- I just-" I stuttered, and he shook his head disappointedly. He set the two plates down on the nightstand.

"I told you not to get up!" He scolded, leading me back to the bed. He laid me down, and I rolled my eyes slightly.

"I'll have you know, I am more than capable-"

"Zelda, you could've gotten hurt! What would you do if you toppled over and hit your head on this table?!" He questioned angrily, slamming his hand down on the small desk by the bookcase.

I averted my eyes, not answering the question.

"You're being way too overprotective." I stated.

I heard him walk back over to me, and slight fear ran through me. In the corner of my eye, his hand could be seen coming towards me. I braced for a hit, but instead just felt him softly cup my cheek. He turned my head towards him.

"I... I can't help it." He whispered, a new affectionate look on his face, " The thought of you getting hurt... crushes my heart."

I was melting under his loving gaze. Guilt welled up inside me. I placed my hand on his.

"Link... It's okay. I won't do it again." I told him, to which he smiled softly.

He leaned down and kissed me softly, then we went to eating our breakfast.

-

A few days later

"In the process of building these beasts, many animals came to mind when deciding which animals to choose. After much forethought, our finest Sheikah architects decided on a bird, a lizard, an elephant, and a camel. Their infused powers would mirror their regions."

"That is simply fascinating! Don't you think so, Link?" I inquired.

I looked up to see Link fast asleep. Giggling softly, I listened to his quiet snoring. My hand brushed his hair out of his face. I admired his handsome features. His strong jaw, chiseled nose, and thin lips. Slowly, I leaned forward and kissed Link's forehead.

His eyes slowly fluttered open, confusion on his face.

"Wakey, wakey.." I sang softly, and he groaned slightly. I smiled lovingly.

"Morning, sleepyhead." I giggled. He yawned.

"Morning." He responded.

Slowly, I got up. Today would be the day I could finally leave that room. I had read most of the books on the shelf, each one more fascinating than the last.

He stood up slowly, stretching. I giggled again, motioning for him to turn around. 

Once he did, I put on my new Gerudo set. Link had been wearing his Gerudo voe armor, while I was in a plain nightgown. I tied my hair into a high ponytail, putting on the last few bracelets.

I told him to turn back around.

"How do I look?" I shyly asked, putting an arm over my exposed stomach.

He didn't answer. He just stared at me. I huffed in anger.

"If I looked that bad, you could have just told me, jerk!" I shouted, storming out of the room.

I heard him call after me, and I wanted to run to him, but I refrained. Why, the audacity of him to stare blankly at Princess Zelda herself like that!

Ugh. Men. I rolled my eyes.

Heading downstairs, I didn't get breakfast, not wanting to be in the room with him. I headed outside, looking around at the stalls. I decided to buy a palm fruit.

I headed over to the fruits stall, looking at the different sized palm fruits.

This one looks good, I said to myself, picking up one of the fruits. I purchased it, then set to crack it open. After hitting it on a wall for a minute or so, to no avail, I remembered my knife I keep handy. It easily opened up the fruit, allowing me to drink the sweet liquid inside.

"That was so good." I mumbled, disposing of the empty fruit.

After I did, I saw Link walking towards me. I rolled my eyes, walking the other way.

Maybe I should go to him...

No. Be strong, Zelda! Let him learn not to stare at me like that.

I headed to chief Riju's throne room, establishing plans to go investigate the divine beast.

That'll give me time.


	23. Practice.

Link POV

Wow. She looks amazing. I don't even know what to say. Wait, why does she look angry?

Before I knew it, Zelda was angrily storming out the room. I found her roaming around town square, but she made it a point to avoid me, heading to Cheif Riju.

I'm probably not going to see her all day...

So, like I had promised a few months ago, I headed to the training grounds to help teach the Gerudo warriors. I informed the chieftain of my purpose, and she beamed a proud smile.

Immediately, we went to work. The Gerudo are big people, easily towering over me. They aren't known for stealth, and sometimes not quickness either. This is where I came in.

By no means do these losses make them weak. In fact, the Gerudo army is fine without them. But many more victories would be ensured with them. Needless to say, I was eager to see how this powerful race could get even more strength.

I stood in front of rows of women, a scimitar in hand. I thought it would be best to use one of their weapons, to maximize the training. Quickly, I moved my right foot forward, then my left one. When I moved my left foot forward, my right foot went back, followed by my left one. I alternated between doing this slowly and quickly, allowing the soldiers to see what I was doing.

Once they could mimic it, I began slightly hopping on my toes with each movement.

"Stay on the tips of your toes. Get as much weight as you can in the air, to make an easier dodge!" I shouted, performing the maneuver in this way.

They did it as well, some tripping over their feet. I came to them to help, and they would get the hang of it.

"Good! Now I will show you how this can be useful." I stated, and they nodded. I pointed to a specific soldier, slightly taller than the rest.

We went to the sparring circle, and I told her to fight like she normally would. Before we began fighting, I went ahead and raised my heels off of the ground. She took a swing at me with the training scimitar, and I was easily able to jump back. Using my practiced footwork, I stepped forward, slashing then quickly stepping back.

I smiled, shaking her hand. She smiled back, an amazed expression on her face.

-

The day had quickly gone by. I found myself roaming around the square, wondering what to eat for dinner. I noticed Riju at the top of the steps leading to her throne, motioning for me to come over.

I walked up what felt like 1,000 steps, before reaching her. She gave a mischievous smirk before shoving me into the room. In front of me, I saw a girl with blonde hair, porcelain skin, and a shocked expression.

“Look out!!” I shouted, tumbling on top of her. She spit her hair out of her face, and my eyes locked with hers. I sheepishly smiled, giving her an apologetic look.

She giggled.

“Is this how you’re going to greet me everyday?” She questioned, a skeptical smile on her face. 

I propped myself up on my arms above her. I leaned down, whispering in her ear softly.

“Only if you’d like me to, my princess.” 

Her face flushed red, and she pushed me off, hitting my chest lightly. Her ears and face were crimson, and she was putting her hands to her cheeks.

I gave her a goofy smile, kissing her cheek.

“Now, what do you say we eat dinner?” Riju proposed, clapping her hands together with a warm smile.

Zelda and I nodded our heads, standing up. We headed to the dining hall, where a long, chocolate-colored table had a healthy dinner on it.

We took our seats, immediately beginning to eat.

“Sho.. Good.” I stated through mouthfuls. Zelda slapped my arm.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full!” She hissed, and I gulped. Riju giggled from the other side of the table.

Once we were done eating, Zelda decided to finally request the aid of the Gerudo in rebuilding Hyrule. She shifted in her chair nervously, trying to find the right words. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it, and she smiled faintly.

“I know I have no right to ask this of you... But if we can restore Hyrule to its former glory, possibly even beyond that, I’m sure all races, Hylian and Gerudo alike, will thrive.” Zelda stated, and Riju nodded.

“You have our support. It’s an honor to serve a ruler who has her kingdom in mind first.” Riju commented, making Zelda smile.

“Thank you. I don’t know how to repay you, but one day I will.” Zelda promised.

After that, we said our goodnights to Riju and headed to our rooms. As I was about to head to my own room, Zelda grabbed my hand.

“Link.. stay with me.” She pleaded, and I widened my eyes. That familiar feeling welled up inside me.

~

"Well, I should head to my room." I said.

She hugged me tightly.

"Link..can you..stay with me, just for tonight..?" She whispered.

I blushed, nodding.

"Of course." I answered.

I took my sword off my back, leaning it up against one of the nightstands.

Zelda laid down, and I laid beside her. We weren't touching, but I knew just my presence comforted her. I felt the same.

In a matter of seconds, she was fast asleep. I barely managed to contain my laughter. Softly as I could, I kissed her forehead.

Then, I closed my own eyes, falling asleep fast myself.

~

“Link? Link???” A voice said.

I opened my eyes.

“Link, what is it?” Zelda questioned.

“I remember.. you asked me to stay with you that night, after we confessed to each other.” I explained, and she smiled.

“I did.” She stated, “Will you do it again?”

I nodded.

So we walked into her room, and I took off my boots and arm guard. I laid down on the plush bed, Zelda joining me shortly after. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, and she leaned her head on my chest. She sighed, a sigh of happiness.

“I missed you today.” I stated after a few seconds.

She nuzzled her head into the crook of my neck, and I could feel her smile.

“I missed you too.” She responded, kissing my jaw slightly.

I averted my eyes.

“I’m sorry I made you angry... Truly, you’re beautiful. It stole the words right off my tongue, I’m afraid.” I apologized, and she sat up in front of me. Her hand rested on my chest, and the other held her up. She looked down at me, an amused smile on her face. The moonlight cascading through a crevice in the curtains allowed me to see her features, although limited.

“That was it?” She teased, “You act like a schoolboy sometimes.”

I smiled slightly, running my fingers through her hair.

“It’s true, Zelda. You’re so beautiful to me...” I whispered, and I saw her face turn slightly red.

She frowned suddenly.

“Zelda, what’s wrong?”

I saw her eyes glisten with tears.

“Link... Do you..” She stuttered, I could tell she was trying to find the right words.

“Link, do you love me?”


	24. Simple, yet so complex.

Link POV

Her words rang through my ears. Like the first gunshot of a war, or a scream in an empty valley.

"I... don't know what love is." I stated, guilt welling up inside me, tearing me apart.

Zelda looked down, tears rolling down her cheeks. I wiped them, trying to comfort her.

"I used to think... this was love." She mumbled.

"What is?"

"Us. The way your eyes make my heart melt, and your smile brings harmony throughout my soul." She explained.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"I don't know... I guess I've always seen it as an abstract and mysterious object. I remember dreaming of nights where I could hold someone I gave my heart to, just like this. I always believed love is what would bring me there." 

I blinked.

"What do you think it is now?"

She smiled solemnly.

"I'm not entirely sure. But now I know, love doesn't simply allow you to hold each other by moonlight. It can change your life, causing you to make reckless decisions. It can fuel you to wait 100 years, all for what?" She rambled on, " Fate and love are enemies, bickering since the dawn of time. Fate plans everything, while love relies on what we feel inside."

She took a breath before continuing.

"Sometimes Fate severs the ties that Love makes. That, I believe, is all part of Life." She whispered.

I sat there, eyes widened.

I forgot she was the wielder of the TriForce of Wisdom...

"Teach me."

Zelda looked back at me, her eyebrows raised questionably.

"Teach me... how to love. About what love is." I begged her.

"Of course."

I smiled, feeling something wash over me.

Not again...

Time stopped, as it had not so long ago in Hateno. The world around us fell apart, just Zelda and I sitting in an empty, blank void.

She stood. Her face was a blur again, and all I could see was a warm smile on her face, hair cascading around her shoulders and back.

"Come with me, we'll walk through this together."

I took her hand, and the world began to form into fragments of memories. In some, I saw Zelda's face. In others I saw random scenes, but my thoughts were of her. I looked upon a certain memory, still holding the girl's hand.

All my attention was focused on a small wooden box. A small handle was attached to the side, and when spun, it played a familiar melody. I began to hum that oh so familiar song, even without being able to hear the memories.

Suddenly, all the memories broke apart, replaced with unfamiliar ones.

"Don't forget your true life... You are in the body of one of your different forms. Remember your goal."

I looked upon them, the realization hitting me.

"I have to get out of here." I stated.

As I said that, the world came rushing back to me like before. My true self had taken over, and I was no longer the Link of that time.

Zelda's eyes were closed. I could tell she was going through the same thing. Slowly, they opened.

"Link..." She mumbled.

"Zelda. We have to get out of here." I urged.

She nodded.

Suddenly, I gripped my head in pain.

"Argh! We don't... belong here!" I shouted through gritted teeth.

The Link of this time was trying to reclaim his body. Unfortunately, he had the upper hand. The Triforce of Courage knew one consciousness didn't belong, aiding him in kicking mine out.

I blinked. It was as if nothing had happened. I had never took back over. I never saw the memories of my real life, only the memories from that Link's life.

I smiled.

"I saw many of my memories. I have faith that we can help me restore my memories, all the while helping me learn what love is." I comforted Zelda.

She nodded blankly, a distant look on her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She looked really caught up in thoughts, then shook her head vigorously.

"Nothing." She responded, smiling warmly.

"Good. Let's get some rest, yeah?" 

"Yeah."

-

Zelda POV

I saw it. Even if only for a moment, I saw who I was. My consciousness was kicked out, leaving me in a daze, with a worried Link.

That night I had strange dreams. There was an old woman, talking to me. She spoke but I couldn't hear words. I saw what looked like Hyrule in ruins. It didn't look like Hyrule after the calamity... 

I saw him.

His malicious smirk made my blood run cold, causing me to sweat in my sleep. He slicked his red hair back, running his hand through his also red beard. He sat upon a throne, overlooking a bustling city.

"Ganondorf."

When I looked to the side of this view, Link was standing beside me. He looked as confused as I was. We exchanged a glance, hands slowly interlocking.

Suddenly, the world began to fall into ruin. Innocent people were being murdered, all by Ganondorf and his army. The city was on fire. Calamity Ganon had basically been reborn, but within the town itself.

I woke up with a scream, cold sweat pouring down my face and body. My hair was matted to my forehead, and my labored breathing pushed it out of my face. I felt a hand on my shoulder, jumping at first. Link looked at me with a worried expression.

He just hugged me. No words needed to be said. He was sweating as well, allowing me to come to the conclusion he had the same dream I did.

I rested my forehead on his, worry in my eyes. He stared right back into mine, his blue eyes shining with hope.

"Will we be okay?"

"We're going to be just fine. I will always protect you."


	25. Strong bonds.

Zelda POV

"Thank you so much for your hospitality. I'm afraid Link and I must get going, as time is of the essence. Trust me when I say we will appear before you in the future."

Riju nodded, and we were on our way to Akkala. We decided that it'd be best to visit Robbie, then work our way down to the Gorons.

"The Bolson construction agency resides in Akkala," Link stated after a while of riding, "Perhaps we can request their help. They are some of the finest builders I know."

I nodded, considering my choices. 

We stopped at foothill stable, where the owner insisted that we have the finest rooms with the finest beds. I kindly declined, reminding him I have done no more for Hyrule than he has.

"Princess Zelda... she is so kind and graceful."

"What an honor..."

"She will bring great things for us."

I smiled to myself, hearing the quiet praises. It was relieving to know the whispers of derision had change in the last 100 years to whispers of praise.

When the sky was blanketed by layers of stars, I decided I should get some rest. Robbie is quite the energetic person, if you know what I mean...

Nevertheless, he is a genius and is treated as such. In fact, him and Purah were the ones that took Link to the shrine of resurrection. I am forever indebted to them.

Am I?

I turned over, looking at Link's bed. He was fast asleep, an amusing grin on his face. His arms and legs were sprawled out, shirt riding up his abs. When my eyes saw that I looked away.

How can someone be cute and sexy at the same time!?

I swatted away the thought, returning to the concept of my thankfulness for Purah and Robbie. They are the reason Link is with me.

"I wish... they could've saved the Link I knew." I whispered quietly, to no one in particular.

Closing my eyes, I succumbed to the ever so powerful force of sleep.

\- (it's 2AM don't judge)

I woke up at just the right time, since the sun was just beginning to come up. Quietly, I got dressed, stepping outside for a moment to watch the sunrise. Nobody was awake yet, so it was just me out in the sound of wind.

Soon enough, the stable owner awoke, lighting the lamps inside the stable. I turned back, heading to the room that held Link and I. Gently I woke him, and he groaned a few times before getting up.

He set himself to get dressed, I watched him get up. He grabbed the hem of his shirt, and I knew what was going to happen but I couldn't stop it.

His bare chest and abs were revealed, and the scars stared right back at me. They mocked me. Even after I looked away, the scars littering the broken man's body were all I could see. My breathing became labored, and I stumbled back into my nightstand.

"Zelda?" Link demanded, worried expression written all over his face, "Zelda! What's wrong!?"

I shook my head, my eyes stinging with tears before they started to flow. I looked at his body, and mentally all the scars were bleeding, leaving a pile of blood on the floor. I slid down the wall, sitting in the blood.

"You're... bleeding." I whispered absentmindedly.

"I'm not." He stated.

I looked back at him, he still had no shirt on. I felt like vomiting, the scene from 100 years ago playing before me.

"Goddess no... please no..." I begged, gripping my hair and shaking my head vigorously.

The sound of guardian beams echoed through my ears. Link breathed his last breath, explosions could be heard all around. I vividly remembered the heat of the flames that surrounded us, everything was burning. I remembered the mechanical clanking of the guardians, and the weight of Link's lifeless body in my lap.

"Zelda..."

I shook my head more.

"Zelda please..."

I recognized the voice, opening my eyes slowly. Link had a shirt on now.

"Zelda... it's okay. I'm here." He comforted me gently, hugging me softly.

Tears continued rushing down my cheeks, and I just buried my face into his neck. The wave of terror slowly washed over me, and I readjusted my eyes to find Link with his arms around me.

I cleared my throat awkwardly, standing up and bringing Link with me. I kissed his cheek quickly after rubbing my eyes.

"Don't take too long getting dressed. We shall depart as soon as we eat some breakfast." I told him, and he nodded slightly.

-

After a few hours of riding, we arrived at South Akkala stable at about noon. Stopping to take a rest, Link and I allowed our horses to eat and drink water.

"What brings you 'round these parts, travelers?" A man with a thick accent asked us.

"We're heading to the ancient tech lab, we heard a man named Robbie resides here in Akkala." I responded, smiling gently. I looked at Link, who left to go tend to the horses.

"It's good he's got a wife... he tends to like the younger generation." The man mumbled.

I raised my eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"What I mean is, his wife is 'bout half a century younger than him." He answered.

I widened my eyes.

"I-I... Don't know what to think about that." I stammered, looking away.

"I'm sure he'd be all over you, such a pretty woman like you are." He snapped me out of my thoughts.

A faint blush dusted my cheeks, and I looked at his smiling face. I smiled back.

"Thank you, you're too kind." I thanked him.

He placed his hand on the side of my face.

"You got a name, pretty woman?" He suggested. I stared at him blankly for a moment, in a daze. He wasn't too bad looking himself. He had dark brown, curly hair. His skin was tan and his eyes were a striking gold color.

He chuckled, knocking me out of my daze.

"It's Zelda!" I exclaimed, face flushed.

"Mine's Matthew. But you can call me Matt," He said with a wink, "Now that we're acquainted, perhaps I can escort ya up to that lab?"

I looked over at Link, who looked to be still tending to the horses.

"Sure. It's not very far of a walk, it seems." I responded.


	26. Jealous.

Link POV

I watched him touch her. She smiled like they were completely familiar with one another, and he smiled back. My blood boiled.

He has no right to touch her. She's mine. This filthy ranch-hand is touching my princess!

When Zelda looked back over at me, I pretended to tend to the horses. When they left, my face was red in fury. After waiting a few minutes, I followed them stealthily up to the Ancient tech lab. My fury increased every time he flirted with her or put his hand on her face.

They made it to the lab, while I waited outside behind a tree.

Maybe I'm going too far... is she really mine?

No. Even if she's not, I have to make sure she's safe.

After about 20 minutes, the two came out, laughing and talking. They walked over to behind the tech lab, and I moved to a different tree to be able to see what was going on. The damned man put his hand on her face again, and she smiled.

Slowly, he kissed her. My whole world shattered. My own blood could be heard sizzling. Absentmindedly, I stood up, striding towards the pair. I grabbed him by the shoulder, turning him around and punching him in the nose.

"Link!" I heard Zelda scream, then fell to her knees to attend to the man on the ground.

"What the fuck is your problem man!?" He shouted.

Calm down. Calm down.

I kneeled down as well, gripping the collar of his shirt.

"What makes you think you have the right to kiss her!?" I demanded, making sure to spit in his face, "You think you're all that, taking an innocent girl who doesn't know any better and leading her on!?"

Zelda stared at me. I saw some fear in her eyes. My gaze at her was broken by a punch to my stomach.

Oh fuck. Time to die.

I lunged on top of the man, beating his face senselessly. He punched back, landing in some punches on my face and gut. He held his arm back, then directly punched the wound on my shoulder.

I fell back, crying out in pure agony.

"Matthew!" Zelda shouted angrily, coming to my side.

"Link, are you okay?" She questioned, taking my face in her hands.I looked at her, then motioned for her to come closer.

"I don't like that he kissed you..." I whispered into her ear. Her face slightly flushed red, and she looked back towards Matthew. He was wiping blood off his face.

"Let's get you up." She suggested, and I nodded. I stood up, and we started walking back to the stable. Knowing Matthew was behind us, I took her hand in mine, interlocking our fingers. I heard him grumble.

-

Once back at the stable, we readjusted my bandages, since the wound reopened again. It was nearly healed, too. While I sat by the campfire roasting Zelda and I some apples, I saw Matthew motioning for her to come over to a tree a few feet away.

She slowly went, and I was skeptical at first. I looked away, then looked back and saw the silver gleam of something in Matthew's hand behind his back. My eyed widened as I pieced together the picture.

"Zelda come back!!" I screamed desperately, grabbing my sword off the ground and unsheathing it before sliding to be in front of her.

Matthew looked utterly confused, and I furrowed my brows.

"Heavens, Link! What has gotten into you!?" Zelda demanded from behind me.

Suddenly, Matthew threw the knife directly at Zelda's head. Quickly I put my sword up, directly knocking the knife out of the way.

"Beware, fool, the eye of the Yiga." Matthew said, then vanished. I could hear Zelda sobbing behind me.

I turned around, and she was on her knees. I kneeled down in front of her, wrapping my arms around her.

"Hey... It's okay, don't cry. You're okay." I comforted her.

"T-Thank you..." She managed to get out, choking on tears, "L-Link... he was going to kill me behind the tech lab... You saved my life."

"It's what I do." I stated, running my hand up and down the small of her back. Slowly, she looked up, smiling at me.

Her smile makes my heart stop... Is this love?

"I love you." She whispered.

I rested my forehead on hers, kissing her softly. She kissed back, our mouths molding together in sync. We pulled away and she sighed.

"You're a much better kisser than him." She stated, and we laughed. She continued to rest her head on my chest, and eventually we got up to go eat our baked apples.

-

After revisiting Robbie again and discovering Bolson was located in Hateno Village, we decided it was time to head to Death Mountain. As we neared the base of the volcano, we drank our elixirs immediately. It was already sweltering.

I didn't let it show, but I was on high alert. I didn't know when Matthew would come back to get us. My hand rested on my leg, where I could easily unsheathe my sword if I so needed.

After the heat made our skin literally boil, I handed Zelda my fire-breaker helmet. She refused to take the armor, so I wore it.

She laughed.

"You look ridiculous."

"At least I don't look like you."

She scoffed at me playfully.

"Such a rude thing to say to the princess. I should have you beheaded."

"We both know you'll keep my head on the wall, since you like my face so much." I winked slyly.

"Maybe, since that mouth looks so much nicer closed."

We both laughed.

It's nice that we can tease each other. I thought.

At last we reached Goron City. Zelda and I immediately walked into a shop, enjoying how it was a tad bit cooler in there.

"This doesn't even make sense... but i'll take it." She sighed.

After talking with Yunobo, the new Goron chief, Zelda and I contemplated on what to do next. Truthfully, we had no desire to stay at Death mountain. Our negotiating had been done, but we didn't have enough time to make it to the foothill stable.

"Wait!"

Zelda raised her eyebrows, tilting her head.

"Goron City just isn't complete without a trip to the hot springs." I suggested, grinning.

She smiled.

"Of course."


	27. Hot springs.

Link POV

I had only been in hot springs a few times, well, that I could remember. There's not much time to relax when you're on a quest to save Hyrule.

The stars were slowly coming out of hiding, one by one, lighting up the night sky. The water reflected their light, and Zelda looked up at them with wonder. She gasped when she looked down, seeing the star's reflection. Her eyes lit up.

I thought the stars looked pale compared to her eyes.

-

Zelda POV

I sunk down into the refreshing hot water, closing my eyes and sighing in bliss. My body relaxed, muscles untightening in the warm hot springs water. The sun was setting, the air slightly less hot than in the middle of the day.

I opened my eyes, looking over at Link in another pool. He was also sunk below the water.

He probably did that for me...

I shook my head, trying to relax once more. The hot springs soothed me so much, that I nearly fell asleep. Taking this into account, I invited Link into my pool so we could talk.

"This is so nice." I stated after a little bit of blissful silence.

Link nodded.

"It is." He responded.

I looked up at the sky. The first stars of the night could be seen popping out, lighting up the land that was becoming darker. I saw Link smile out of the corner of my eye.

"I've always loved the stars..." I whispered absentmindedly, putting my hand up towards the sky.

When I looked down, the water reflected the stars as well as a mirror. The image was surreal. No matter where I looked, the vast galaxy could be seen.

After an hour or so, my skin was prune-like, forcing me out of the springs. I dried off, before wrapping a towel around me in my bathing suit. Link did the same, and we walked back down to the inn.

-

Breakfast was very hearty. It consisted of some really juicy meat, a huge egg, and some spice on top. Out of everyone, I decided maybe the Gorons had the best food. That surprised me, truthfully.

As we exited the inn, a Goron rolled up to us, handing me a letter. I cocked an eyebrow, opening it up.

"Dear Princess Zelda,

We heard you were traveling around Hyrule, requesting the aid of each race. We thought it wise to save you some time by telling you we're in. You have our support. This way, you can get started on the reconstruction of Hyrule a few days sooner. We hope this proves to be of the utmost convenience, and you can count on us for support.

Sincerely, the Rito"

I smiled.

"We have everyone on board." I told Link, and we hugged quickly.

"Let's get to Hateno, then." He suggested, and I nodded. Not wanting to unnecessarily waste time, we mounted our horses and set off for Hateno Village. Bolson construction was a good place to look for helping hands in the building process of Hyrule Castle.

The trip took all day, and we arrived at Hateno a short while after the sun had begun to set. We left our horses to the stable men, where they stayed in a small barn.

Heading straight to the inn, we decided it'd be better to talk to Bolson in the morning. I went to say goodnight to Link, but I was stopped by him grabbing my arm.

"Can we talk?" He questioned. I frowned slightly then nodded, and we headed into his room. I took a seat at the end of the bed, and he pulled up a chair and sat on it.

He averted his eyes after starting to day something, and I cocked an eyebrow.

"Link, what is it?" I inquired.

"It's just... what am I going to be after you rebuild Hyrule?" He mumbled.

I sat there for a moment. I hadn't thought that far yet.

"Well, we'll rebuild our army, so I suppose you'd be the commander of the newly formed army?" I responded.

He made a slight "hm" noise, stroking his chin.

But... what if I want him to be my king?

I cleared the thought of my head, my face almost flushing red.

"You used the word we."

I blinked a few times.

"Huh?"

"You said we. We will rebuild Hyrule." Link stated. I placed my hand on top of his.

"Link, do you want to help rebuild Hyrule?" I sighed, looking into his blue eyes.

"Of course I-"

"I know you do. Why else would you be here? Why must you ask me this question once again?" I slightly scolded, annoyed by his low self esteem.

He looked down, like a sad puppy. I sighed in slight guilt before kissing his forehead.

"Goodnight Link." I blankly told him, heading to my own room. When I laid down, his face came to mind.

"I... want him to be my king..." I whispered, turning on my side. A few tears rolled down my cheeks. 

The Link I used to know... would be overjoyed to become my king.

I shook my head. It had become hard not to dwell on the past. His face basically brought it to mind. Not that I didn't like his face.

When I found that I couldn't sleep, I instinctively started humming a melody I had known from 100 years ago. My mother would quietly hum it to me to help me sleep, and it became one of the only things that could soothe me. She jokingly called it, "Zelda's lullaby".

As I hummed it, I remembered a music box. A music box sitting on my dresser, in the castle.

"What if it's still there..." I pondered to myself, making plans to rummage through my room and my study.

I didn't expect to find anything particularly of worth in either, aside from my diary, my research journal, and the music box, of course.

After humming for some time, my eyelids became heavier, and I easily fell asleep by the second attempt.


	28. Finally.

Zelda POV

"I'm sorry. I can't help you."

I blinked in shock as Bolson, head of Bolson construction agency, refused to help rebuild Hyrule.

I huffed in anger.

"I, Princess Zelda, demand your aid in rebuilding Hyrule!" I exclaimed, and he burst i to laughter.

"You expect me to believe that you're Princess Zelda!? Kid, I hate to tell you this, but she died 100 years ago, along with her fearless knight." He mocked me, and I clenched my fists.

"I am her. Stop laughing at once!" I demanded, proudly flashing the TriForce on the back of my hand. His face fell, and he dropped to his knees. He bowed towards me.

"Forgive me! Please don't hurt me!" He begged. I smiled in relief.

"I'm not going to hurt you. Get up and name your price." I stated, helping him up.

"Well... with material fees and labor fees... I think you'd owe about 2,000 rupees." He calculated. My jaw dropped.

"2,000...?" I whispered. I looked past the man at Link, talking to a friendly villager.

"Yes. As soon as you get us these funds, we'll begin working right away." He reassured me, striking a strange pose. I thanked him and walked away.

I waved Link over, and he ended the conversation with the villager. He came over to me.

"So? Are we set?" He questioned.

"Sort of..." I mumbled, "We need 2,000 rupees."

He gasped.

"All I have is 500.." He stated.

"I might be able to get my savings out of my room at Hyrule castle. If I'm correct, I had about 1,000 rupees saved up." I suggested.

"We still need another 500, and I think I have a way to get it." Link sighed.

"How?"

"You'll see."

-

After a hour or so of planning, Link had me use the Sheikah Slate to travel to Gerudo Desert. As I walked up to the gate of Gerudo Town, I thought about how stupid his plan was. I looked down at my exposed stomach, praying to Hylia his plan would work.

Outside of the gate, against the wall, I saw my target. His name was Bonzai, and he had... somewhat of an obsession with girls.

I strode up to him, nervously fiddling with the bracelets around my wrists.

"Hello." I greeted him sweetly.

"Hi..." He mumbled, looking at the ground.

"I saw you here, and I just wanted to see if you were okay. Such a cute guy just doesn't look right so upset..." I flirted, mentally cringing.

His face lifted up, and he gasped when he saw me. He jumped up, looking at me closely.

"I'm Bonzai." He grinned, shaking my hand.

I smiled, and he physically swooned.

"I'm Zelda." I answered, pressing up against him.

"Can I kiss you?" He questioned, then flushed red, " I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say that out loud." 

"Only for 500 rupees." I negotiated, leaning into his face. His face lit up, and without hesitation he handed the money. I was shocked.

To thank him, and to hold up my end of the bargain, I grabbed his face and kissed him passionately. I felt like I was going to vomit.

As I pulled away, I mumbled a sweet farewell before traveling back to Hateno with the Sheikah Slate. When I arrived, I headed straight to the well to wash my mouth off.

Link tapped my shoulder, and I jumped slightly.

"How'd it go?" He questioned, and I glared at him.

"I got the money." I responded, turning to face him and sitting on the edge of the well. He grinned.

"Great! I guess our next destination is Hyrule Castle then?" He suggested, and I nodded. When he turned to walk away, I grabbed his arm. He raised his eyebrows, before I pulled him close to me and kissed him. I could feel the shock on his face.

After a few moments, I pulled away, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"That's better." I mumbled. He smiled before heading to the inn. I followed a moment after, going to change out of the exposing Gerudo outfit.

After changing, Link and I decided it would be best to try to make it at least to the Dueling Peaks stable. Even so, it was only about a 2 hour ride. I had no doubt we would make it.

In fact, we arrived as the sun was getting ready to set. The sky hadn't quite turned pink, but it would at any moment. After eating dinner, we decided it'd be best to get as much sleep as possible. Link reminded me that a trip to Hyrule Castle requires you to be alert. Even with all the guardians no longer possessed, monsters were still a threat.

I agreed with him, and we said our goodnights before going to bed.

-

Link hopped out of the way as one Moblin swung, slashing another in half. He hopped back to where he was standing, to get away from a Lizalfos attack. He was able to jump at the Lizalfos, hitting it until it died. 

I was hiding behind a bookcase, peeking around it to make sure Link was okay. Once all the monsters were defeated, he gave me the okay before we moved on.

Slowly but surely, we were making our way towards my room. Link told me we'd have to go around, due to the halls being blocked my boulders. When we made it there, we looked out at the sight from the bridge between my room and my study.

As I looked at the ground, images of a guardian and Sheikah warriors standing there flashed through my head. My father's voice echoed in my ears, telling me how much of a disappointment I was. A few tears rolled down my cheeks, and I walked on to my study.

As I opened the door, dust flew about in my face and the air, causing me to cough slightly. I took in the sight, my precious bookcase knocked over. Dirt was on the ground, and a small plant sprouted out of the dirt. I gasped.

Kneeling down, I examined the plant. It was a flower. The Silent Princess. 100 years ago, our finest researches did all they could to try to help this species grow domestically, to no avail. The species thrived now, found all over Hyrule. I smiled softly, my heart glimmering with hope for a moment.

I stood up, grabbing my research journal. I also attempted to fit as many books as I could in the small bag I wore around my torso. 

Exiting the study, I walked into my room, where Link sat on a small chair at my desk. He didn't say anything, allowing me to take it all in by myself. I motioned for him to help me lift up the top of my bed, just enough for me to get to my nightstand. He agreed, lifting it up, and I quickly pulled my nightstand out from under it.

I looked at a picture frame on top of it, the glass shattered, but the picture still remained intact. Tears formed in my eyes.

I can't believe it.


	29. Forever.

Zelda POV

I choked back a flood of tears, staring at the shattered frame. I slowly picked it up, taking the picture out. It was of my mother. Her blonde hair cascaded around her face, and she had a loving smile with beautiful green eyes. My father used to say I looked just like her.

A few tears slipped down my face as I carefully put the small piece of paper in my pouch. Slowly, I opened the first drawer, to see a small pouch.

Bingo. I thought.

Grabbing it with a slight smile, I tossed it to Link, who emptied its contents into our already saved up rupees. With newfound hope, I opened the second drawer, where a slightly larger bag was. I grabbed it, emptying some of the books into it. I was thankful to have more room for more stuff.

I frowned. No music box. I looked around and spotted my dresser, the top broken in half. I pursed my lips before walking over to it and cautiously opened the top drawer, where I kept most things that wouldn't fit in my nightstand. At the top sat a music box. I smiled brightly, picking it up oh so carefully. The edges were chipped, and the top was nearly coming off its hinges. Nothing that couldn't be fixed.

As I held it in my hands, I could hear Link walking over to me. He looked at it, an expression of familiarity on his face. He softly started humming the tune that it would play. A few more tears ran down my cheeks.

"I remember." He stated, and I kissed his cheek. 

Slowly, I began cranking the handle, and the song played. It seemed as if time stopped, and just Link and I stood there, listening to the ancient song. Like we were the only people in the world. We were all that mattered.

As I played, I thought of my mother. Her death, so sudden, phased me for not as long as it should have. I was young, and eventually I got used to not having her in my life. I thought of my father. Tears poured down my cheeks now. Everything he had ever done was for me, and all I did was think about myself. I prayed that one day he would forgive me.

Then I thought of the champions. Mipha, so sweet and innocent. She didn't deserve her cruel fate. Daruk, so brave and warm. His hugs felt bone-crushing, and in his presence all worries seemed to melt away. Revali, skilled and confident. I didn't have the time for his ego to bother me much, and instead I thanked Hylia that we had such a skilled aerial warrior to aid in the fight with Calamity Ganon.

Urbosa. When my mother died, Urbosa stood up and took the place of the woman no longer in my life. She called me her "little bird", and I'd never rather anything else. Her skills not only as a warrior, but chief of the Gerudo inspired my own ambitions to be at least have the ruler she was.

The song slowed to a stop, and I felt Link's hand on my back, slowly running up and down.

-

Link POV

All I could do was be there. Confronting the past when you don't remember what happened is hard enough, but I couldn't imagine being haunted when you remember every detail about people that are long dead. We were all each other had. Aside from Impa, Purah, and Robbie, of course.

Her music box relaxed me as well, the comforting melody making my worried melt away, at least for the time being.

Soon enough, we decided to leave, but first Zelda grabbed more books. Walking out the gate to the castle, I looked behind me at the inactive guardian on the path. A short flashback played through my head, but I turned my attention back to in front of me.

I cautiously intertwined Zelda's hand with mine, keeping my head up faced frontwards. She squeezed it softly, the mere contact with her hand making every cell in my body fill with happiness. We walked through Hyrule field, and I examined the abundant flowers. They complemented each other, the lighter petals contrasting the darker ones to create a wonderful combination. A slight breeze blew through the field.

The wind whirled my dirty blonde hair around, much like a playful child. I looked up from the flowers, to see the sun shining down with all its might. I closed my eyes, breathing in the fresh air.

"This is where I belong.. in the wild." I mumbled to the forest, listening to the birds sing and chirp. Zelda smiled and nodded.

The sounds of nature cannot be replicated, even by the greatest orchestra. I had a wild thought, smirking at Zelda who then had a confused expression.

I ran through the vast Hyrule Field. All types of flowers could be seen, dancing along with the wind. The sun made their petals boast a bright reflection, giving a warm feeling in the area. I stopped to smell the flowers, sighing in satisfaction. Kneeling down, my hands came in contact with the earth.

The cool feeling of the dirt satisfied me, and I rolled over onto my back. I heard Zelda come up to me, laying down beside me and holding my hand. Closing my eyes, I tried to imagine a better day.

Impossible.

Then, my cheek felt a little wet. My forehead followed. I opened my eyes confusedly, yet the sky was not cloudy. More drops fell onto my face and body, and soon it was raining.

Not too hard, not too soft. It was actually quite refreshing. Watching the liquid run down the flower petals was relaxing.

So, as ran fell from the sunny sky, I thought of a person. They smile all the time, yet in private their glowing light cries tears.

Closing my eyes once more, my heart felt for that imaginary person. The more I thought of the imaginary person, the more Zelda’s face came into mind.

I opened my eyes, looking over at her to see her looking right back at me.


	30. Christmas special!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here’s a small short story for you guys!

**Zelda POV**

"Make sure the lights are even on each side!"

"I know, I know!"

Impa shook her head with a smile. I grinned, sticking up the last set of Christmas lights. Purah, being the peppy genius she is, decided we should decorate for this beloved holiday. So, with ancient tech, she made these colorful lights. I had to say, they were so pretty.

I hopped down from the ladder, and Impa and I looked at her decorated house. We'd be spending the holidays in Kakariko Village, to get away from the bustle of the castle. She patted my back softly, and I smiled down at her.

"Good job, my dear." She said softly, and I thanked her.

"Zelda!" A familiar voice called out.

I turned around, and saw the love of my life. He had just finished decorating some of the trees and hanging wreaths, as well as putting up lights on the other houses.

"Link!" I exclaimed, hugging him. I kissed his cheek, enjoying the warmth of his body in the cold air.

"You did good." He started, kissing the top of my head, "The house looks great."

I thanked him as well, and Impa let out a soft chuckle before two Sheikah men helped her up the stairs and into her house. She didn't get to help much, but her telling me what to do was more than enough help. I decided to make dinner for her that night, and even make it every night.

Almost as if on cue, as soon as we walked inside, snow began floating down from the sky. Link added a few logs to the fire, and I marveled at the sight.

"Did you know the each snowflake has it's own unique shape. No two snowflakes are the same! Isn't that amazing, Link?" I rambled on, my face almost touching the window. I was trying to get the closest view I could, and I debated on going outside.

"Don't even think about it." Impa said, like she could read my mind. I sighed. It was too cold.

Link chuckled slightly, putting an arm around my waist. Half of me was glad that Paya wasn't here, as she was staying in a friend's house. Every time she saw Link, she would stare at him when he wasn't looking, and when she thought I wasn't either. It was quite annoying, with us being together and all.

I shook my head. This was a holiday to enjoy. I kissed Link's cheek, before heading into the kitchen to help make dinner and cookies. I heard settle down somewhere in the dining room.

As I made the cookies, I felt like something was missing from them. I searched the cabinets, only for Impa to hand be a small container of what smelled like sort of like mint.

"Put some of this in there. He'll love it." She winked at me, patting my shoulder.

"What is it?" I questioned, giving it a taste. It slightly burnt my throat, and was a bit on the spicy side.

"It's called cinnamon. It tastes wonderful on cookies." She responded, and I shrugged. Cautiously, I poured some of it in the dough. He would eat it even if I didn't. Sometimes, it was hard loving a man with an endless stomach. I just hoped our children wouldn't turn out like that.

My face went red. It was too early to think about that sort of thing.

As I set the cookies in the small mechanism that I had never really seen before, as it was advanced tech, I set to washing my hands.

-

**Link POV**

Zelda came into the dining room, taking a seat next to me. My fingers intertwined with hers, and she laid her head on my shoulder.

"It's so peaceful out here." I stated, squeezing her hand. She hummed in agreement, as my words couldn't be any more true.

"It is." She sighed blissfully, and the smell of cookies and turkey filled the air. Except those cookies smelt even more delectable than normal. I'd most likely go for them first. Then again, I can't ignore the big, juicy turkey, or the vitamin rich salad.

My stomach grumbled.

Zelda burst out laughing, and I grinned slightly.

"Patience, Link. The food is almost ready!" Zelda exclaimed, still laughing. I let out a chuckle.

"You don't tell a man to have patience, especially for food!" I joked, kissing her forehead. I was super hungry.

Much to my delight, Impa called out for Zelda in the other room. I sat up straight, rubbing my hands together. Zelda walked into the kitchen, not before patting my head.

"Impa!!" Zelda screamed, and I jumped up immediately. I ran in there, and saw Impa on the ground. She must've had a heart attack.

I knelt beside Zelda and the now lifeless body, wrapping my arms around her. Her incoherent sobs made my heart heavier than it already was from the loss of the old woman. She had guided me back to Zelda. Now she was gone.

A tear or two rolled down my cheeks, and Zelda cried into my shoulder for nearly an hour. When Paya walked in, Zelda and I both gave her hugs, letting her know we were there.

The next day, nobody could speak. Kakariko Village had a huge hole in it. The huge, once lively house now felt like a shadow to the rest of the village. Paya was already preparing to become the new chief, as it fell upon her shoulders. The night before, in private, Paya told me that Impa's death was a matter of time. She had a slight feeling it'd fall sometime around this holiday.

I awkwardly handed Zelda the present I got her, and did the same for Paya. To think, my first holiday since waking up would turn out like this.

Zelda's eyes were puffy from crying, which was what she did all night. I held her in my arms the whole time, not daring to let her out of my sight. Never again. She wouldn't have to face the dark alone.

In respect for Impa, Zelda and I decided to head back to the castle, so Impa's spirit could rest in peace. We packed our things, then said our goodbyes to Paya.

"This was to be expected, for a long time. Grandmother was simply of age, and this was how it happened. I'm sorry you two had to see it." Paya apologized, sitting where Impa once sat.

Zelda swallowed hard.

"No... it's okay. I'm at least glad I was able to spend the last moments of her life with her." Zelda stated, voice wavering. I squeezed her hand, wanting nothing more than to take all her worries away.

She gave me the ghost of a sad smile, and then we were off.

"This bracelet Impa gave me..." Zelda mumbled, and I was listening intently to her. She was sitting behind me on the white stallion.

"I'm never going to take it off."

**************

And thats it! Please keep in mind, this is not _Linked_ to the story at all, this was just a small special. Hope you enjoyed!


	31. Christmas special!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here’s a small short story for you guys!

Zelda POV

"Make sure the lights are even on each side!"

"I know, I know!"

Impa shook her head with a smile. I grinned, sticking up the last set of Christmas lights. Purah, being the peppy genius she is, decided we should decorate for this beloved holiday. So, with ancient tech, she made these colorful lights. I had to say, they were so pretty.

I hopped down from the ladder, and Impa and I looked at her decorated house. We'd be spending the holidays in Kakariko Village, to get away from the bustle of the castle. She patted my back softly, and I smiled down at her.

"Good job, my dear." She said softly, and I thanked her.

"Zelda!" A familiar voice called out.

I turned around, and saw the love of my life. He had just finished decorating some of the trees and hanging wreaths, as well as putting up lights on the other houses.

"Link!" I exclaimed, hugging him. I kissed his cheek, enjoying the warmth of his body in the cold air.

"You did good." He started, kissing the top of my head, "The house looks great."

I thanked him as well, and Impa let out a soft chuckle before two Sheikah men helped her up the stairs and into her house. She didn't get to help much, but her telling me what to do was more than enough help. I decided to make dinner for her that night, and even make it every night.

Almost as if on cue, as soon as we walked inside, snow began floating down from the sky. Link added a few logs to the fire, and I marveled at the sight.

"Did you know the each snowflake has it's own unique shape. No two snowflakes are the same! Isn't that amazing, Link?" I rambled on, my face almost touching the window. I was trying to get the closest view I could, and I debated on going outside.

"Don't even think about it." Impa said, like she could read my mind. I sighed. It was too cold.

Link chuckled slightly, putting an arm around my waist. Half of me was glad that Paya wasn't here, as she was staying in a friend's house. Every time she saw Link, she would stare at him when he wasn't looking, and when she thought I wasn't either. It was quite annoying, with us being together and all.

I shook my head. This was a holiday to enjoy. I kissed Link's cheek, before heading into the kitchen to help make dinner and cookies. I heard settle down somewhere in the dining room.

As I made the cookies, I felt like something was missing from them. I searched the cabinets, only for Impa to hand be a small container of what smelled like sort of like mint.

"Put some of this in there. He'll love it." She winked at me, patting my shoulder.

"What is it?" I questioned, giving it a taste. It slightly burnt my throat, and was a bit on the spicy side.

"It's called cinnamon. It tastes wonderful on cookies." She responded, and I shrugged. Cautiously, I poured some of it in the dough. He would eat it even if I didn't. Sometimes, it was hard loving a man with an endless stomach. I just hoped our children wouldn't turn out like that.

My face went red. It was too early to think about that sort of thing.

As I set the cookies in the small mechanism that I had never really seen before, as it was advanced tech, I set to washing my hands.

-

Link POV

Zelda came into the dining room, taking a seat next to me. My fingers intertwined with hers, and she laid her head on my shoulder.

"It's so peaceful out here." I stated, squeezing her hand. She hummed in agreement, as my words couldn't be any more true.

"It is." She sighed blissfully, and the smell of cookies and turkey filled the air. Except those cookies smelt even more delectable than normal. I'd most likely go for them first. Then again, I can't ignore the big, juicy turkey, or the vitamin rich salad.

My stomach grumbled.

Zelda burst out laughing, and I grinned slightly.

"Patience, Link. The food is almost ready!" Zelda exclaimed, still laughing. I let out a chuckle.

"You don't tell a man to have patience, especially for food!" I joked, kissing her forehead. I was super hungry.

Much to my delight, Impa called out for Zelda in the other room. I sat up straight, rubbing my hands together. Zelda walked into the kitchen, not before patting my head.

"Impa!!" Zelda screamed, and I jumped up immediately. I ran in there, and saw Impa on the ground. She must've had a heart attack.

I knelt beside Zelda and the now lifeless body, wrapping my arms around her. Her incoherent sobs made my heart heavier than it already was from the loss of the old woman. She had guided me back to Zelda. Now she was gone.

A tear or two rolled down my cheeks, and Zelda cried into my shoulder for nearly an hour. When Paya walked in, Zelda and I both gave her hugs, letting her know we were there.

The next day, nobody could speak. Kakariko Village had a huge hole in it. The huge, once lively house now felt like a shadow to the rest of the village. Paya was already preparing to become the new chief, as it fell upon her shoulders. The night before, in private, Paya told me that Impa's death was a matter of time. She had a slight feeling it'd fall sometime around this holiday.

I awkwardly handed Zelda the present I got her, and did the same for Paya. To think, my first holiday since waking up would turn out like this.

Zelda's eyes were puffy from crying, which was what she did all night. I held her in my arms the whole time, not daring to let her out of my sight. Never again. She wouldn't have to face the dark alone.

In respect for Impa, Zelda and I decided to head back to the castle, so Impa's spirit could rest in peace. We packed our things, then said our goodbyes to Paya.

"This was to be expected, for a long time. Grandmother was simply of age, and this was how it happened. I'm sorry you two had to see it." Paya apologized, sitting where Impa once sat.

Zelda swallowed hard.

"No... it's okay. I'm at least glad I was able to spend the last moments of her life with her." Zelda stated, voice wavering. I squeezed her hand, wanting nothing more than to take all her worries away.

She gave me the ghost of a sad smile, and then we were off.

"This bracelet Impa gave me..." Zelda mumbled, and I was listening intently to her. She was sitting behind me on the white stallion.

"I'm never going to take it off."

**************

And thats it! Please keep in mind, this is not Linked to the story at all, this was just a small special. Hope you enjoyed!


	32. Chapter 32

**Link POV**

Enchanted. That is what I felt.

Her green eyes, glossed over by the glimmer of tears, locked with mine. The reflection of the grass in her eyes was a sight fit to go in a painting. I found myself getting lost in the lush, green forests of her eyes. I absentmindedly put my hand on her cheek, wondering how I missed her beauty before.

"You're... the most beautiful person I have ever seen." I whispered, and she smiled, her face turning a faint pink.

"Maybe you just haven't seen enough people." She answered coyly, and I shook my head.

"No. I've seen this land, every corner of it. Nobody else makes my heart melt like this just from a smile." I stated, caressing her cheek.

Again, she smiled slightly, mouthing a thank you. I leaned forward, kissing the bridge of her nose. Now, I didn't care who saw us. I didn't even care if Paya saw us. I even hoped Paya saw us. It felt like she had took advantage of me. She told me all these things I was feeling, which made sense to do in my gullible state.

After 30 minutes or so of laying there, the rain began to pour down harder, so Zelda and I took refuge at a nearby stable. We ate, chatted with some stablehands, then went to sleep.

-

**Zelda POV**

We had reached our goal. In all honesty, I didn't know what to do next. Inevitably, I would have to return to the cold walls of the castle, and face my past that haunted me. Not even Link, wielder of the master sword and chosen hero by the goddess, could protect me from the nightmares. I saw them. I saw their faces, and their blood was splattered on the wall of time.

Those souls haunted castle town. There were scarcely any remnants of the once bustling and lively area, and all I could see of it wasn't real. When Link and I walked through what couldn't even be considered ruins, I could see every building that used to be so lively. I could see Link and I, dancing in the square, not a care in the world in that moment. How small and far away it seemed, but to Link, it had sunk to the bottom of the sea that was his memories.

Even though I had my hesitations, we made it to Hateno Village. Quite early, as well. The shops that on-looked the main road were either beginning to open or had just opened. Part of me secretly wanted to forget my duty as heir to the throne. It wanted to retire to Hateno Village or Kakariko Village, where I could spend the rest of my days holed up in a lab, researching Sheikah Tech. Perhaps I could still have days for that in the castle. It would be my choice, after all. I decided to let that thought sit while I focused on more important matters.

Strutting proudly up to Bolson, who also looked like he had just woke up, I motioned for Link to take out the rupees. He obliged, throwing the bag of rupees onto the ground next to Bolson.

"You got the funds! Amazing! Spectacular!" The older man exclaimed, "My team will begin construction right away! I already sent out word that we have a really big project at Hyrule Castle, so my whole team will already be there."

I was practically beaming in joy.

"Thank you, Bolson. You and your team will not be overlooked when the castle is rebuilt." I stated, already making plans for a tribute to the Bolson Construction Agency.

He and his assistant, whom I found out was named Karson, immediately left for the castle after receiving the funds.

Link and I stared at each other for a moment, not sure of what to do next.

"Perhaps we could go to Kakariko Village and inform Impa of our progress." I suggested, "It would be a waste to come all this way just to immediately return to the castle.

"Yes. That sounds like a good idea." He answered, and my eyebrows furrowed slightly. I looked away, not wanting him to notice my disdain for a certain person.

I was worried that he just wanted to go to see Paya, but another part of me wondered if he wanted to go to cut ties with her. I was leaning towards the cutting ties part, but my gut had always bothered me about these things. I was inclined to not even trust myself.

I shook it off, heading to the horses. Knowing Link must've been hungry, I made plans to eat a brunch with Impa. Until then, I gave him an apple to eat. He instead fed it to his horse. How rude of him.

We made it in a fair amount of time, just in time for brunch, as I had planned. I walked into Impa's house, and Link was outside tending to the horses.

"Princess. It is a pleasure to see you again." Impa smiled softly, looking up at me.

"The pleasure's all mine, Impa. I just couldn't head back to the castle without seeing you." I responded, "We've paid off the construction workers. They should be working on the reconstruction already, since the team was already assembled. I'm hoping for it to be done it at least 2 months, as the head of the team told me it should be."

Impa nodded.

"Patience, Zelda. It'll be done in enough time." She teased.

"Patience? I waited 100 years for the man outside!" I exclaimed, motioning towards the door dramatically.

As if on cue, Link walked in. He came up beside me, a slight smile on his face.

"What's got you grinning like that, boy?" Impa questioned suggestively.

Link shook his head to shrug it off. I laughed, grabbing his hand and squeezing it.

"So things between you two worked out, then." She stated knowingly, nodding her head slowly.

We both nodded, exchanging a small glance.

Paya walked in suddenly, immediately heading up to her room. I assumed Link had told her about us. She was crying, so that must've been it. I felt bad for her, and hated that I had so many mean thoughts about her. She really was a sweet girl, I could tell. She bore a striking resemblance to Impa when she was younger. Give our take a few features, and you'd have yourself a set of twins.

Impa wasn't even her mother. She was her grandmother. Yet they looked exactly the same.

I let that thought amuse me slightly, squeezing Link's hand again as a reassurance that what he did was right.


	33. Stay.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ouch

**Zelda POV**

"I feel like... like what I did was right." Link mumbled, his arms wrapped around me. We stood on the balcony of the guest room in Impa's house, overlooking the quiet village at night.

"It was. I'm proud of you." I reassured him, tilting my head back to give him a light kiss on the cheek. We'd ben heading back to the castle the next day, but... something didn't feel right.

Truthfully, I'd been having very strange dreams. Link said he'd had them too, and neither of us knew what they were about. We could both see a giant city, with tons of these weird looking objects moving through the streets. A voice called out to me, saying that... time was up. It frightened me. Did that mean I was going to die, or did it mean that Link and I couldn't be together?

As if on cue from me thinking about these dreams, a blue glowing figure appeared in front of us. Suddenly, I felt a rush of memories allow themselves into my head. They were all familiar, yet at the same time so distant.

"It's... time to return to the present." The voice said, and Link and I were both suddenly floating. We stood above the balcony, looking down at the two bodies. I had no recollection of anything that happened in this time now, and all I could see was my present self. So they were back in their rightful bodies, then. Link and I exchanged a look, knowing our work was done here. We both closed our eyes, and everything went black.

-

**Link POV**

I did not want to do that again. I'd had my fill on traveling through time, what with getting sidetracked in the past. My true consciousness was free now, as was the one from the past.

I looked around, and Zelda was nowhere in sight. She must've appeared somewhere else. That wasn't good. I reached behind me to see if the Master Sword was on my back. It wasn't, and I began to panic. Now I had to find Zelda and the Master Sword.

Then, I realized I was in a tree. I was lying on a bed of leaves. I jumped up, almost hitting my head on the roof of whatever room I was in. Entirely and utterly confused, I slowly made my way out of the tree. I emerged in a brightly lit clearing, with small little creatures peeking out of their hiding spots at me. I'd seen this place in books. Korok Forest, it was called. My eyes fell upon the Master Sword's pedestal. This place wasn't here before. The witch was right, bringing the sword back from the past allowed it to exist here.

I carefully walked up to the sword. It's blade reflected the light of the sun in this quiet sunny and overgrown area, and it's darker handle quite contrasted the lighter blade. I walked around the the correct side, gripping the handle tightly. I knew I had to do this. So, with a deep breath, I began pulling it out.

It was taking all of my strength, and I could slowly feel my life force being sucked away from me. Just as I thought it would kill me, and I become close to fainting, it was out. All my energy returned to me, and I sighed in relief.

I held the sword up to my face, seeing my reflection. I blinked, and I could see the reflection of all my predecessors before me. Especially... the last one. The one that I became stuck in. I wondered how he fared the rest of his life.

The sword practically asked me to hold it up to the sky, as my very first ancestor did thousands of years ago. The Hero of the Sky. I'd learned about all the heroes over my lifetime, as the books about them were the only ones I'd read. It was quite the honor that I was able to live as the Hero of the Wild for 100 years.

I gasped. Had it been 100 years here while we were gone? What was Hyrule like now? In school, we'd always tried to imagine how the place would be in so many years. That's when the realization hit me.

Everyone I loved, everyone I knew, was probably long dead. The average life span for a Hylian was not over 80 years. If they lived that long, they'd still have been dead for quite some time before I got here. I could feel the tears stinging at my eyes.

I walked down from the pedestal, then fell to my knees on the grass. I stuck the Master Sword into the ground in front of me, hands grasping the handle and shoulders laying over it. A few tears ran down my face. Zelda... was all I had left. And I didn't even know if she'd be here! It could take years for me to find her.

As I cried, I could feel someone's hand on my shoulder. I immediately looked up, to see a man with striking resemblance to my face. He was clad in a green tunic and a green hat, with brown boots and white pants. He had a blue Ocarina hanging loosely around his waste, and his face bore a sad smile.

"I... feel your pain." He told me, kneeling down and hugging me. My eyes were wide open. I had seen his face before, in a book. No... It couldn't be him.

The Hero of Time.

I looked past him, to see all my other ancestors standing there as well. The Hero of Twilight gave me a stiff nod, while the Hero of Wind gave me a playful thumbs-up.

To say I was bewildered would be an understatement. I was tempted to slap myself. This had to be a dream. But no, the ghosts of all my predecessors were standing in front of me.

The Hero of the Sky slowly walked forward, kneeling down in front of me.

"You will find her... locked away amongst the folds of time." He told me, then they all slowly disappeared. He gave me a pat on the shoulder, and more tears streamed down my face.

"Link!" A familiar voice exclaimed, and I whirled my head around.

There stood the ghost of Zelda. She smiled brightly at me, the sun behind her finger giving the illusion that she was glowing. Except it wasn't an illusion. Her figure truly was glowing.

I couldn't speak. My stomach twisted itself into a knot. This was... the one that was supposed to be here with me. My best friend that I grew up with.

"I'll be waiting for you, Link." She stated sadly, "Please... Please save me."

"Zelda-" I started, but was cut off by her disappearing. I stared at the spot that she disappeared from, dumbfounded.

Was I going to forever be alone?

Would I ever find her?


End file.
